CORA Group Announces Acquisition of the Carlson Marketing Enterprise Loyalty Platform from Kognitiv
10 July 2024 - 2:00PM
CORA Group (“CORA”), an operating portfolio of Jonas Software,
a subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc., is pleased to announce
the acquisition of Kognitiv’s Enterprise Loyalty Platform (ELP).
This acquisition elevates CORA’s loyalty solutions to a leadership
position within the loyalty technology industry, expanding its
portfolio to include enterprise loyalty program management
solutions on a global scale. The newly acquired entity will operate
as “Carlson Marketing Solutions,” reviving its original brand
identity from its founding in 1938 until it was acquired by AIMIA,
Inc. and then subsequently by Kognitiv.
The ELP efficiently manages high volumes of complex
transactions while enhancing program value, personalization, and
targeted customer experiences. Serving over 50 million loyalty
program members in 30 countries, ELP enables its clients -
including multinational banks, retailers, and travel providers - to
increase customer lifetime value through a robust system that
manages thousands of transactions per minute globally, coupled with
advanced data sciences and customer marketing services. The
transaction also includes the Air Miles Reward Program, the largest
coalition loyalty program in the Middle East.
As part of this transaction, CORA will be
integrating more than 100 new employees from Kognitiv across North
America, APAC and EMEA. Denis Brosnan, Portfolio Manager at CORA,
will serve as CEO through the transition, ensuring a seamless
integration and continued leadership.
“We are thrilled to welcome Carlson Marketing
Solutions into the CORA family,” said Brosnan. “These solutions
align perfectly with our goal of offering comprehensive loyalty
management software solutions to our customers, coupled with vital
services supporting key clients. The hallmarks of the Constellation
family, which includes our ‘buy-and-hold-forever’ business model
and commitment to software company operational excellence, will
bring strength, stability and innovation to the clients of these
enterprise and service platforms, while providing career
development opportunities for our new employees. We are honored to
be the stewards of the Carlson Marketing brand henceforth and
forever.”
Tim Sullivan, CEO of Kognitiv, also expressed his
enthusiasm about the acquisition, “We are excited to see ELP and
Air Miles join forces with CORA, the owner of our long-term
fulfillment partner, RewardOps, and to continue our mutually
beneficial partnership. This transaction will enable Kognitiv to
deepen its focus on data activation technologies, while ensuring
continuity of access to the Enterprise Loyalty Platform and
RewardOps for our customers. We believe this partnership marks a
significant milestone in our journey and presents numerous
opportunities for growth and innovation.”
About Kognitiv
Kognitiv inspires lifetime loyalty by helping
brands build deeper relationships with their customers. Their
intelligent, omnichannel SaaS platform delivers data-driven
personalization across the entire customer lifecycle, enabling
superior marketing effectiveness and consumer engagement.
In June 2020, Kognitiv and Aimia's Loyalty
Solutions business came together to become a global loyalty
solutions leader. Today Kognitiv serves a broad portfolio of global
brand customers and has employees in over 20 countries. With
decades of loyalty solutions experience, Kognitiv has the history,
the technology and the expertise to help marketing professionals
stay ahead of the customer expectation curve.
Kognitiv's largest investors include Aimia Inc., a
publicly-traded holding company listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange.
About CORA Group
CORA Group is a collective organization redefining
advancement through the acquisition, strengthening, and growth of
over 30 independent software brands worldwide. Our roots in
construction and foodservice have expanded to include debt
collection & recovery, wine/spirits, moving/storage, loyalty,
legal, and long-term care verticals. Today, we are proud to serve
over 50,000 customers in 10+ markets with industry-leading
enterprise software and related services. CORA Group operates as
one of the primary operating groups under Jonas Software, a
subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc. This relationship
reinforces CORA’s commitment to delivering industry-leading
solutions and benefiting from the extensive resources and support
provided by Jonas Software and Constellation Software Inc.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
CORA GroupGeorge ChalmersAssociate
Director, M&A Corporate
Developmentgeorge.chalmers@thecoragroup.comhttps://thecoragroup.com