MDC Partners Inc. is an advertising and marketing holding company based in New York City. MDC is structured as a partnership model, in which it initially acquires a majority stake in its partner agency, leaving a percentage of ownership with the founder. It has more than 50 partner firms worldwide. In August 2021, following the merger of The Stagwell Group with MDC Partners, Stagwell formed Stagwell Media Network, a group of multichannel agencies. History MDC Partners was founded as Multi Discipline Communications in 1980 in Toronto by Miles Nadal. The company held an IPO on October 16, 1987. The company operated two divisions in the 1990s: Marketing and Communications and Secure Transaction Products, which included the production of checks, credit and debit cards, tickets, and stamps. Toward the end of the 1990s, MDC concentrated on growing its marketing and communications business. It continued to expand into the United States, surpassing CAD$1 billion in revenue in 2000 through acquisitions and organic growth. In 2001, MDC formed its first partnership with the agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. In January 2004, the company changed its name to MDC Partners Inc. In 2008, MDC became the first advertising company to build a capability designed for automated, or programmatic media trading, with the formation of Varick Media Management. The company acquired Anomaly in 2010 and 72andSunny in 2011. On July 21, 2015, Miles Nadal announced his resignation as CEO in response to an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding executive pay and accounting practices. Nadal agreed to pay back $1.9 million in expenses and $10.6 million in salary and bonuses. He did not receive any severance or compensation for resigning. Chief accounting officer Michael Sabatino also announced his resignation and would reportedly repay $208,000 in bonuses. MDC’s presiding director of the board, Scott Kauffman, succeeded Miles Nadal as Chairman and CEO. In December 2015, the company ranked 8th in Advertising Age’s global ranking of Agency Networks, by cumulative award wins. In June 2016, MDC announced the first acquisition under Kauffman of Swedish creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors, forming a strategic partnership with sister agency CP+B. In April 2018, MDC acquired a 51% majority stake in digital creative agency Instrument for an undisclosed amount. In March 2019, Mark Penn was named CEO of MDC Partners, and The Stagwell Group invested $100 million in the company. Operations Company overview MDC Partners is a global