Vero acquires Mad Hat Asia in regional expansion move

Vero has taken a majority stake in creative communications agency Mad Hat Asia, broadening its regional footprint and integrated communications capabilities across Southeast Asia.

The move brings together Vero’s established strengths in strategic communications, public affairs and government relations with Mad Hat Asia’s culture-led creative approach, consumer lifestyle expertise and social-first capabilities. The partnership is expected to deepen Vero’s presence in Malaysia while expanding Mad Hat Asia’s access to regional capabilities spanning corporate communications, policy advisory, data analytics and research.

Mad Hat Asia also adds experience in consumer storytelling and emerging audience engagement, which Vero said complements its existing integrated offer.

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As part of the integration, Vero CEO Brian Griffin will continue to oversee long-term strategy and business direction, while Mad Hat Asia founder Rengeeta Rendava will take on a regional strategic role focused on communications capability-building and service excellence across the network. No staff redundancies are planned as part of the acquisition.

“Vero has built an exceptional reputation across Southeast Asia for its strength in corporate, public affairs, government relations and strategic communications,” said Rendava.

“Joining Vero gives us the opportunity to learn from that strength while contributing our own perspective on culture, digital-first audiences and strength in consumer storytelling into the mix. Together, we’re in a much stronger position to deliver integrated, insight-led communications that truly reflect how companies and brands need to operate today,” she added.

According to Vero, the integration will also strengthen alignment with its Malaysia-based government relations arm, Vero Advocacy, enabling closer integration between policy insight and culturally resonant communications for clients operating in complex regulatory environments.

Vero CFO Thanpitcha Suksawad said the acquisition was a natural extension of an existing working relationship rather than a scale-led expansion.

“Mad Hat Asia was already familiar to Vero. We have worked closely enough to understand how they operate, how they think and how their clients respond,” Suksawad said.

“When the conversation evolved into something more permanent, it was a natural progression. This isn't expansion for scale; it’s a focused investment to strengthen our positioning in the region. This deal reflects our broader growth plan: scaling the business with discipline and a focus on long-term value creation.”

The partnership comes as Vero reported 11.5% fee income growth in 2025, supported by cross-market collaboration and client expansion. With Mad Hat Asia on board, the group is targeting US$13.5 million in revenue in 2026, backed by a 300-strong team across seven markets, including Myanmar via a special partnership.

Technology and intelligence capabilities will also be integrated into the combined offer, with Mad Hat Asia set to leverage Vero’s proprietary tech stack, analytics infrastructure and regional intelligence teams to strengthen insight-led strategy development. Both agencies also said they are investing in AI capabilities to enhance creativity and efficiency, while maintaining a focus on human-led storytelling.

“The Mad Hat team has built a business with a real creative identity and genuine heart over the past decade, and that's exactly the kind of energy that will help to power our progress,” said Vero CEO Griffin.

“Bringing Mad Hat Asia into Vero deepens our ability to combine PR and government relations in Malaysia. We believe it’s this combination that helps clients grow and protect what they’ve built across this region.”

The news follows a series of recent client wins for Mad Hat Asia. In January, PUMA Group appointed Mad Hat Asia as its PR retainer agency in Malaysia following a competitive two-round pitch concluded in January 2026. In 2025, the agency also worked with brands such as Ayam Brand and Hyundai.

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