ICM buys speaking engagement firm the Royce Carlton Agency

ICM Partners has acquired a majority interest in the Royce Carlton Agency, a New York-based speaking engagement firm, the companies announced Tuesday.

Royce Carlton, whose client list includes author Mitch Albom, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Powers and journalist Fareed Zakaria, will be absorbed into ICM’s lectures group. The combined units will operate under the Royce Carlton name in New York and at ICM’s Los Angeles office.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Royce Carlton was founded in 1968 by Carlton Sedgeley and Lucy Lepage. They will stay on to run the merged operation with Jonathan Perelman, head of digital ventures and lectures for ICM.

“The Royce Carlton agency is the definition of sophistication and integrity in the speakers business today, with a combination of strong core values, newsworthy clients and excellent agents,” Chris Silbermann, managing director for ICM Partners, said in a statement. “We could not be more excited to build upon our longstanding, close relationship as we welcome them fully into the ICM Partners family.”

In a statement, Sedgeley and Lepage said the deal provides its agents, clients and staff “a long-term transition plan, while giving us access to more resources and clients to grow the agency while continuing to provide the best possible service to the people we represent.”

Royce Carlton already handled speaking engagements for a number of ICM clients including actor Alan Alda and journalist Tom Friedman.

ICM is the second Hollywood agency to buy a New York-based speakers bureau in recent months as United Talent Agency acquired GTN in September.

In February, ICM increased its New York presence when it purchased Headline Media Management, an agency that specializes in representing TV news and sports talent with a client list that includes “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and SNY baseball analyst Keith Hernandez.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio