The Visual Agency enjoyed an excellent year in 2019, the best ever. A new milestone was achieved: having reached a turnover of over one million euros in 2018, in 2019 our overall fee (after production costs) also exceeded one million euros.
In December, we acquired a 30% stake in Dalk, a startup that specialises in the creation of data-driven content, and an ideal partner for the agency. At the same time, we sold our interest in Parco di Yellowstone, where The Visual Agency owned a third of shares.
The year brought more than purely economic growth. Governance was strengthened by entrusting direction of operations to a management group made up of the CEO and three Directors. Professor Ciuccarelli, partner of our company and professor at the Politecnico di Milano, moved to the USA to work at the Northeastern University of Boston where he leads the Center for Design, meaning a small seed of The Visual Agency has now been planted on a new continent.
Growth in turnover was accompanied by an expanding team, especially in the production and design departments. Our agency employs 19 people and we are constantly growing and seeking new professional figures. This required the renovation and expansion of our offices with new meeting rooms, a larger dining area and more workstations. For the first time, a training programme was organised to offer almost all employees English courses, technical courses, and participation in international conferences. A performance review mechanism was introduced through an HR consulting company and an initial analysis was conducted to identify any conflict or issues within the team.
Over the course of the year, a major project was completed in order to define our strategy for the next three years (2020-2022). The project began with a SWOT analysis of the agency and was developed further with a market study and internal organisational assessment.
Leonardo Da Vinci was a key figure for us in 2019. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his death, we collaborated with the Biblioteca Ambrosiana to create the codex-atlanticus.it website: our first digital humanities project. This project garnered international visibility and numerous awards for the agency. The Fondazione Symbola Appennini and Eni The History of CO2 projects were also recognized with various awards.
As I write this letter, the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the world with unpredictable economic impacts. We are implementing all possible measures to help the agency cope with the situation. Our achievements in 2019 will see us safely through 2020.
The Visual Agency CEO, Paolo Guadagni
