Breakwater Management Makes Majority Investment in Global Brand Consultancy, Jones Knowles Ritchie
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 10, 2026) – Breakwater Management (“Breakwater”), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, announced today that it has made a majority investment in Jones Knowles Ritchie (“JKR”), a leading independent strategic brand consultancy whose clients include AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor, KFC, Walmart, and Yahoo!, among many other of the world’s most recognized companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1990, JKR has approximately 300 employees across its New York and London studios, working across brand strategy, identity and experience, combining strategic insight with differentiated creative capabilities. As an independent platform, JKR offers clients direct access to senior talent, greater creative flexibility, and superior client focus.
“Independence has always been central to JKR and to the way we work with our clients,” said James Nixon, Global CEO of JKR. “Breakwater understands what makes JKR distinctive and shares our ambition to grow. Their support will allow us to invest further in our people and capabilities, extend our reach, and pursue new opportunities, while preserving the culture and creative standards that define us.”
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 10, 2026) – Breakwater Management (“Breakwater”), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, announced today that it has made a majority investment in Jones Knowles Ritchie (“JKR”), a leading independent strategic brand consultancy whose clients include AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor, KFC, Walmart, and Yahoo!, among many other of the world’s most recognized companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1990, JKR has approximately 300 employees across its New York and London studios, working across brand strategy, identity and experience, combining strategic insight with differentiated creative capabilities. As an independent platform, JKR offers clients direct access to senior talent, greater creative flexibility, and superior client focus.
“Independence has always been central to JKR and to the way we work with our clients,” said James Nixon, Global CEO of JKR. “Breakwater understands what makes JKR distinctive and shares our ambition to grow. Their support will allow us to invest further in our people and capabilities, extend our reach, and pursue new opportunities, while preserving the culture and creative standards that define us.”
“JKR is an exceptional business with deep client relationships, outstanding creative talent, and a differentiated position in the market,” said Eric Beckman, Managing Partner of Breakwater. Breakwater Senior Partner Jeff Goldstein added, “As global companies increasingly recognize the critical importance of brand, we believe JKR is particularly well positioned based on its specialized expertise, senior-level engagement, and creative excellence. We look forward to supporting the JKR team as they build on the company’s strong foundation.”
Forge Select led the equity financing for the investment.
“Forge Select was created to back experienced independent sponsors by providing capital, operating resources, and relationships,” said Sanjay Gupta, Partner and Head of Forge Select. “Breakwater brings deep experience in marketing services and a clear vision for JKR, which has established a differentiated market position. We are thrilled to invest alongside Breakwater to support JKR’s next stage of growth.”
MB Global Partners also participated in the equity financing and provided junior debt. The senior debt was led by Lloyds Bank, with a syndicate including Muzinich & Co. and OakNorth Bank.
Breakwater was advised by Lincoln International, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett serving as legal counsel. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal counsel to Forge Select.
About Jones Knowles Ritchie
Jones Knowles Ritchie (“JKR”) is an independent strategic brand consultancy based in New York and London. Since 1990, JKR has helped some of the world’s most recognized companies become more distinctive through strategy, identity, and experience. Its work is grounded in a simple philosophy: Be Distinctive Everywhere. For more information, visit www.jkrglobal.com.
About Breakwater Management
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Breakwater is a private investment firm focused on control equity investments in the Media & Entertainment, Marketing, and Tech-Enabled Services sectors. To date, Breakwater has originated approximately $650 million across seven funds and investment vehicles on behalf of institutional and high-net-worth investors. The firm partners with founder-led and management-owned businesses, helping accelerate growth through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Breakwater’s team brings deep operational and investment experience from prior C-suite roles and leadership positions in global asset management platforms. This hands-on experience enables Breakwater to deliver strategic insight, operational support, and financial guidance to its portfolio companies to create long-term value. For more information, visit www.breakwatermgmt.com.
About Forge Select
Forge Select is New State Capital Partners’ non-control investment strategy dedicated to partnering with experienced independent sponsors. Forge Select provides equity, operating resources, and relationship capital through introductions to market participants. For more information, visit www.forgeselect.com.