Senior management at the Dublin-based full service agency Javelin have completed a management buy-out of the business.
As part of the transition, founder and majority shareholder Joe Dobbin will step into a non-executive Chair role. The MBO shareholders include Adrian Cosgrove, Aoife Hofler, Ken Ivory, Cathal O’Flaherty, Yusuf Karimjee and Ian Nunoo. As part of the MBO team, Kyla O’Kelly will take on the role of managing partner.
The agency was founded above a sweet shop in 1986. It now employs 55 staff and had a turnover of €20m in 2024. Javelin clients include leading Irish and global brands alongside governmental and semi-state bodies.
Other key appointments at the agency include a CFO and senior hires across strategy and social content development, alongside additional investment in market leading tools and talent across the AI creative and media universe.
“Today feels really special” said Joe Dobbin. “As an agency, we’ve always believed in the power of great ideas to move people and grow businesses. The new shareholders know our business best and care deeply about its future. This feels like the perfect next Javelin step. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve built, and I’m truly excited about what’s yet to come .”
In a joint statement, the new shareholders said: “When Joe Dobbin and Conor Kennedy founded Javelin, it was built on the belief that brilliant ideas could make businesses more successful. That belief still drives us, but the challenges our clients face today are more complex, whether navigating the rise of AI and harnessing its potential, reshaping brand positioning for a new era or seeking elusive consumer connections within a fragmented media landscape. That’s why we believe there’s never been a better time for a strong, independent, integrated agency of scale. We’re agile, client-focused, and motivated by real impact. Looking ahead, we’ll be focused on continued growth through work that influences attitudes and actions, an expanded social content and media offering and ongoing investment in growth areas for our business, all with the goal of propelling our clients’ businesses to new levels of success.”
