Matthew Lacey (Waypoint Partners): What the Whalar Deal Signals for the Creator Economy

Waypoint Partners is a specialist M&A advisory firm supporting high-growth businesses at the intersection of creativity, technology, and intellectual capital. With over $2 billion in completed deal value across 40 transactions, the firm advises founders, buyers, and investors navigating critical strategic moments across creator economy, marketing, entertainment, and talent businesses—including advising on the Sister Group acquisition of After Party Studios.Ceci chats with Matthew Lacey, Managing Partner at Waypoint Partners, to hear his perspective on three critical issues: what Accenture's acquisition of Whalar signals about where enterprise consultancies see long-term value in the creator economy and who else might make similar moves, why the convergence of brand, entertainment, and talent worlds has taken longer than expected and what businesses like After Party Studios are doing right by operating fluently across all three, and how much runway remains when creator-native agencies are still small compared to WPP and global ad spend tells a very different story. Tune in for an M&A advisor's read on where the money is moving and what deals will define the next phase of the industry.The Big Three by Influence Weekly: 3 Biggest Stories. 1 Essential Conversation.