G+T is pleased to have advised Kathy Sozou and Damien Pasfield of McGrathNicol, on the successful cross-border sale of GrowthOps’ GOAsia businesses. The transaction, completed on 17 June 2025, involved the sale of GrowthOps’ operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia to the fast-growing Dubai-based AI start-up, the Applied AI Company (AAICO).
GrowthOps, an ASX listed multinational digital marketing and technology group headquartered in Australia, entered external administration on 31 March 2025, with McGrathNicol partners Kathy Sozou and Damien Pasfield appointed as external administrators. The sale of the GOAsia business represents another significant milestone in the restructuring process, ensuring the preservation of over 200 jobs and continued growth and innovation of the Asian businesses under new ownership.
The G+T team, led by Restructuring and Insolvency Co-Head and Partner Orla McCoy, Corporate Advisory Partner Wes Bainbridge, and Restructuring and Insolvency Special Counsel Mikhail Glavac, assisted by lawyer Jing Zhang advised McGrathNicol on the cross-border transaction. G+T’s restructuring team’s expertise was instrumental in navigating the complexities of an expedited multi-jurisdictional sale process, achieving a successful outcome for all stakeholders.
Orla commented:
We are proud to have supported the McGrathNicol team in delivering a positive result for the GrowthOps Asia group and its stakeholders. Working with highly capable restructuring practitioners like Kathy Sozou , Damien Pasfield and Louise Mann, this transaction also highlights our team’s capability in managing complex cross-border corporate restructuring transactions, and we congratulate all parties involved.
The acquisition by AAICO marks an exciting new chapter for the GOAsia businesses, positioning them for continued success in the rapidly evolving digital and AI landscape.
This transaction follows McGrathNicol’s recent sale of GrowthOps’ organisational coaching and leadership development provider, the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership, to education group Scentia.
