UTA is expanding its presence in the executive search and consulting space, acquiring James & Co., which operates in the sports, media, entertainment, digital and consumer sectors. James & Co. founders Michele James and Roysi Erbes will continue to lead the business as a new division within UTA.

UTA, led by CEO Jeremy Zimmer, is already in the executive search and consulting field through Medialink, which it acquired for $125 million in late 2021. Terms of the deal for James & Co. were not disclosed, though the executive search team at Medialink will become part of the new division at UTA.

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Executive search is a logical expansion play for a company like UTA, which already talks with many of the major players in entertainment and sports on a regular basis, and which has a robust consulting business in Medialink.

UTA has been on an acquisition spree over the last couple of years, leaning into its role as a talent agency and service-driven company to the worlds of entertainment, media, sports and marketing. In addition to Medialink, the company acquired the U.K. literary and talent agency Curtis Brown Group last year and the literary agency Fletcher & Company earlier this year. UTA also secured a private equity investment from EQT last year, which it said it would use for strategic acquisitions.

“Over the past two decades, James & Co. has gained enormous trust and respect from high-level clients across the worlds of sports, entertainment and more,” said Andrew Thau, COO of UTA and co-head of UTA Sports, in a statement. “Michele and Roysi are a great fit with UTA’s collaborative and entrepreneurial culture, and their expertise is unrivaled. It’s exciting to welcome them and their team to UTA as we help even more clients find and empower their most important assets — their people.” 

“James & Co. has been operating at the intersection of media, entertainment, sports, consumer and digital media for over two decades,” James and Erbes added. “UTA’s shared expertise in these sectors, as well as our aligned cultures, presents a unique opportunity to create a force multiplier effect. We have partnered with UTA many times over the years and are looking forward to joining the UTA family to continue to be a positive catalyst for building businesses and careers.”