Slice Communications Acquires GillespieHall

Leading Women-Owned Philadelphia and Wilmington Agencies to Double in Size

PHILADELPHIA, PA. (January 04, 2023) – The acquisition of GillespieHall, a public relations agency based in Wilmington, Delaware, by Slice Communications, a leading Philadelphia-based agency, was announced today. The news was shared by Cassandra Bailey, CEO of Slice Communications who founded Slice in 2008, and Bridget Paverd, founding partner of GillespieHall.

Started in 2006 by Bridget Paverd, GillespieHall (GH) has built a reputation as one of the leading agencies in Delaware and represents several state-wide non-profits, government offices, corporations, and interests across the United States.

With the acquisition of GH, Slice vigorously expands the firm’s bandwidth in public relations, crisis communications, media training, executive communications, and creative design. The new integrated agency will serve more than 40 clients, and with 100% staff retention, employs 25. Bailey and Paverd note that both their agencies offer similar services and have strongly aligned values, making the acquisition less complicated than most.

“For the past few years, I have been working on a transition plan that ensured GH’s work and legacy continue,” says Paverd. “We knew that we had the talent to create something special with a partner that could help facilitate growth and success.” Paverd said that she had always been impressed with Cass Bailey’s passion for PR and Slice’s quality of work. She also recognized that Cass was a published author, and Slice had a penchant for social media marketing – a passion of GH’s. “We reached out to Cass directly and started a conversation about us working together. Right from the get-go Cass prioritized the GH team and our clients. It was evident to me that under her leadership, GH would be a great fit for Slice.”

Paverd is well-known and respected in the field of crisis management and executive coaching. She has been teaching Crisis Communication at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for almost a decade. Paverd will be joining Slice as a consultant. Bailey, who is regarded as one of the industry’s leading PR visionaries, will stay on as CEO of the integrated agency.

GH’s most recent partner Clara Mattucci will assume the position of Slice’s chief operating officer. Slice’s existing leadership team includes Dana Schmidt, chief strategy officer, and Rayce Rollins, chief financial officer.

“We’re thrilled to welcome GillespieHall to the Slice team,” says Bailey. “This combination of talent doubles our capacity and bandwidth which is a huge benefit to our clients. We’re looking forward to an incredible year of growth that will place Slice among the top tier agencies in the Mid-Atlantic region. Bridget and I are very appreciative of the commitment and dedication that has been extended by both our teams.”