Brave Bison Group plc has acquired MiniMBA

Marketing group Brave Bison Group plc has acquired MiniMBA, the industry training platform founded in 2016 by Mark Ritson, from Centaur Media plc. The deal will see MiniMBA form the foundation of a new skills and capabilities practice within Brave Bison. This practice will operate independently from Brave Bison’s existing marketing businesses while leveraging its AI team and technology hubs. MiniMBA CEO Tim Plyming will lead the new practice.

Brave Bison is a marketing and technology partner for global brands, with operations in eight countries including the UK, India, Australia and Egypt. The group operates through three integrated divisions: Brave Bison, SocialChain and Sport and Entertainment.

Founded in 2016 by marketing professor Mark Ritson, MiniMBA provides MBA-level training in marketing, brand management and leadership through an online platform and virtual teaching, serving over 6,000 delegates annually. With an alumni network of more than 40,000 professionals from 78% of Interbrand’s Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, MiniMBA recruits individual marketers directly and partners with major companies to train and upskill their marketing teams. Clients include American Express, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Salesforce, Red Bull, Oracle, Google and Tesco.

Centaur Media is a UK-based business information, publishing and events group specializing in marketing and information solutions for professional and commercial markets, particularly in the marketing and legal sectors. The company operates through two main business units: Xeim, serving the marketing sector, and The Lawyer, focused on the legal market. Its services include business intelligence, consultancy, training and marketing solutions.

Oaklins Cavendish, one of Oaklins’ member firms in the UK, acted as the sole broker, bookrunner and nominated advisor to Brave Bison on its oversubscribed US$20.5 million (£15.5 million) fundraise and US$25.4 million (£19 million) acquisition of MiniMBA from Centaur Media.