Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
MSQ Partners
FAIL
msqpartners.com
Type: Global Marketing Communications & Tech Group , Holding Company
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: One Equity Partners (primary), LDC
OWNER: One Equity Partners
SUBSIDIARIES: 26, Brave Spark, Elmwood, Freemavens, Miri (Miri Growth), MMT (MMT Digital), Smarts, SPCSHP, Stein IAS, The Gate, UDG (United Digital Group), Walk-In Media, MBAstack.
2023 REVENUE: ~$156 million (est)
HEADCOUNT: 1,200
71 Fifth Avenue, Floor 8
New York, NY 10003
hello@msqpartners.com
+1 212 508 3400
MSQ Partners' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, overseen by Global CEO Peter Reid, Chairman Charles Courtier (who directly oversees the DEI Council), Head of People Jude Owens, and President of MSQ North America Aaron Lang, raise concerns regarding potential discrimination against White employees, particularly under EEOC and New York State Human Rights Law (§ 296). MSQ has set aggressive racial demographic goals, aiming for a workforce that is 35% non-White, a figure more than double the reported industry average, and explicitly seeks to "increase" this representation further. This goal is supported by recruitment and development programs specifically targeting racial minorities**, such as dedicated fellowships and partnerships like #1000BlackInterns, suggesting potential preferential treatment based on race in hiring and promotion, which could disadvantage White individuals. Mandatory DEI training is provided to all staff by external specialists, focusing on "anti-bias, allyship, recruitment and initiatives that promote minority, racial and gender equity" could potentially violate federal laws (e.g., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, § 296) if it promotes concepts of inherent White bias or collective guilt. MSQ’s Diversity Council and 9 D&I Commitments are likely to influence SPCSHP by providing a structured framework, resources, and accountability for advancing DEI. Referring to the nine D&I commitments, MSQ CEO Peter Reid wrote, “All employees are responsible for the promotion and advancement of this policy. And it is held to account by a DEI Council, made up of MSQ employees from across the group, and overseen by the MSQ Chairman. Behaviour, actions or words that are not in line with the policy will not be tolerated and should be escalated to the HR team for appropriate action to be taken...This policy is applicable to all employees, secondees, agency staff, clients, communities, suppliers and contractors, whether permanent or temporary and applies to all processes relating to recruitment, onboarding, training and relationships with customers and clients.” MSQ's nine DEI policies commit to tracking diversity data, increasing minority hiring, eliminating the gender pay gap, enhancing diversity at all levels, fostering an inclusive and equitable culture, providing anti-bias training, developing minority-focused programs, ensuring inclusive work, and increasing DEI partnerships. The policies, particularly those focused on increasing minority hiring to match population levels, boosting ethnic and gender diversity with specific targets, and creating programs exclusively for minority individuals**, raise significant legal concerns under US federal law and the NYSHRL because they could be interpreted as discriminatory practices that prioritize protected characteristics over individual qualifications, potentially leading to unlawful disparate treatment and violating the principles of equal opportunity by explicitly favoring certain groups based on race, ethnicity, or gender in hiring, promotion, and program access.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**In 2025, non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, with several other states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona approaching majority-minority status. At an estimated 12.6% of the global population, White people are a global minority. MSQ is incorrect in viewing White people as an overarching majority.
Institutional investors like One Equity Partners increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major shareholders likely serves as a significant driver for MSQ Partners’ public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
It is illegal and contrary to public policy for any organization, including nonprofits, to instruct companies on discriminatory or harassing practices, potentially resulting in serious legal and financial repercussions such as lawsuits for facilitating discrimination, reputational harm, loss of IRS tax-exempt status, and investigations by state and federal civil rights authorities.
Even though its main offices are in England, MSQ Partners' operations in the United States mean it is subject to American legal standards. The specific US laws that apply are determined by the type and scale of their business dealings within the country.
DieDEI.co may or may not have internal documents from MSQ Partners’ DEI program, which we may post. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.