CDK Global Announces Agreement to Sell its Digital Marketing Business to Ansira Partners

February 20, 2020

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CDK Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDK) (the “Company” or “CDK”) today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell the Company’s Digital Marketing Business to Ansira Partners, Inc. (“Ansira”), a subsidiary of Advent International (“Advent”), one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. CDK Global made the decision to sell all the assets of the Company’s Digital Marketing Business including all advertising solutions and website services.

“We believe that Ansira is the right partner to continue growing the strong technology platform and skilled management team of our Digital Marketing Business,” said Brian Krzanich, president and chief executive officer, CDK Global. “We remain fully committed to our Digital Marketing Business customers, and we will ensure a seamless and uninterrupted transition through the completion of the sale.”

The Company selected Ansira following a thorough process which identified and evaluated proposals from multiple potential buyers for the sale of the Digital Marketing Business. Ansira, a global marketing services and solutions company, has an extensive background in the auto vertical and will bring their expertise to further build out the solutions of the Digital Marketing Business, while also implementing the industry-leading technology and services of the Digital Marketing Business to drive more hyper-local opportunities for customers.

“We know that brands must reach customers in that ‘last mile’ to drive the greatest success, so it was clear to us that Ansira’s footprint in marketing services and their automotive industry expertise, coupled with the user-friendly platform of the Digital Marketing Business will provide an exceptional offering for our collective clients and their customers,” said Alan Herrick, an operating partner with Advent International and chairman of Ansira’s Board of Directors. “The acquisition will allow the CDK Digital Marketing Business to continue on its accelerated path of product and services innovation, as well as to deliver highly responsive and consistent customer service, while enriching Ansira’s local marketing activation offerings.”

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The proposed transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. Ropes & Gray LLP is serving as legal counsel to Advent in the transaction.

About CDK Global, Inc.

With $2 billion in revenues, CDK Global (Nasdaq: CDK) is a leading global provider of integrated information technology solutions to the automotive retail and adjacent industries. Focused on enabling end-to-end automotive commerce, CDK Global provides solutions to dealers in more than 100 countries around the world, serving approximately 30,000 retail locations and most automotive manufacturers. CDK solutions automate and integrate all parts of the dealership and buying process, including the acquisition, sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair and maintenance of vehicles. Visit cdkglobal.com.

About Ansira Partners, Inc.

In a world where it’s never been harder for brands to capture and keep customers, experience is everything. An independent, global marketing agency, Ansira believes designing relevant, persuasive experiences for all the right moments is the only way to strengthen relationships, cultivate brand loyalists, and assure profitable growth. That’s why Ansira arms brands and their sales partners with solutions to make those experiences possible: strategy, performance marketing, loyalty marketing, martech consulting and integration, channel partner marketing, and local marketing activation. For more information, visit Ansira.com or LinkedIn.

About Advent International

Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. The firm has invested in over 350 private equity transactions in 41 countries, and as of September 30, 2019, had $56.6 billion in assets under management. With 15 offices in 12 countries, Advent has established a globally integrated team of over 200 investment professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The firm focuses on investments in five core sectors, including business and financial services; healthcare; industrial; retail, consumer and leisure; and technology. After 35 years dedicated to international investing, Advent remains committed to partnering with management teams to deliver sustained revenue and earnings growth for its portfolio companies. For more information, visit: www.adventinternational.com.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including: any other statements in this press release regarding the proposed transaction between the Company, Ansira, and Advent, including the expected timetable for closing the proposed transaction; the Company’s business outlook; other plans; objectives; forecasts; goals; beliefs; business strategies; future events; business conditions; results of operations; financial position and business outlook and trends; and other information, may be forward-looking statements. Words such as “might,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “estimates,” “expects,” “continues,” “contemplates,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “intends,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “future,” “assumes,” and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements include: the Company’s success in obtaining, retaining and selling additional services to customers; the pricing of the Company’s products and services; overall market and economic conditions, including interest rate and foreign currency trends, and technology trends; adverse global economic conditions and credit markets and volatility in the countries in which we do business; auto sales and related industry changes; competitive conditions; changes in regulation; changes in technology, security breaches, interruptions, failures and other errors involving the Company’s systems; availability of skilled technical employees/labor/personnel; the impact of new acquisitions and divestitures; employment and wage levels; availability of capital for the payment of debt service obligations or dividends or the repurchase of shares; any changes to the Company’s credit ratings and the impact of such changes on financing costs, rates, terms, debt service obligations, access to capital market and working capital needs; the impact of the Company’s indebtedness, access to cash and financing, and ability to secure financing, or financing at attractive rates; the onset of or developments in litigation involving contract, intellectual property, competition, shareholder, and other matters, and governmental investigations; the Company’s ability to complete the divestiture of the Digital Marketing Business; and the ability of the Company’s significant stockholders and their affiliates to significantly influence the Company’s decisions or cause it to incur significant costs.

There may be other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. The Company gives no assurances that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if any of them do, what impact they will have on its results of operations and financial condition. You should carefully read the factors described in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including those discussed under “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of certain risks that could, among other things, cause the Company’s actual results to differ from any forward-looking statements contained herein. These filings can be found on the Company’s website at www.cdkglobal.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect new information or future events or circumstances that arise after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, other than as required by law.