Team Farner

Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Austria

Team Farner has established itself as one of Europe’s most dynamic and forward-thinking consultancy firms, built on a foundation of entrepreneurial spirit, strategic acquisitions, and a collaborative culture. In the past two years, with backing from Waterland Private Equity, it has been on a shopping spree, acquiring 17 new agencies, including such major names as Lansons in the UK, Kirchoff Consult, Komm.passion VIM and GFD in Germany, Skills and All Channels in Austria, and several others across the DACH region and beyond, creating a network that balances local expertise with the power of a broader collective. The group now has a team of more than 600 across Continental Europe, the UK and the US.

All of which gives Team Farner an offering that spans the entire value chain of communications, including strategy, reputation and issues management, crisis, digital marketing, advertising, branding/brand transformation/employer branding, change/internal communications, public affairs, corporate communications, capital markets and special situations communications and behavioral design.

Team Farner demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of Europe’s economic challenges last year, with a varied picture of financial performance. Some of its strategic advisory agencies are planning for growth, while medium-sized operations such as Lansons in the UK set new standards and outperformed the market, and its Swiss operation remained the national number one legacy agency.

The firm’s client portfolio is impressive, with key existing clients including Abbvie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Mars, McDonalds, McKinsey & Company, Nestlé, Pernod Ricard, Sanofi, Swiss Post, UBS, Volkswagen, Volvic and Wilkinson Sword. New wins over the past year included Austriacard, Airbnb, Greenpeace, Schiehser Hotels and Uber.

Team Farner’s combination of strategic communications nous and creativity has contributed to multiple award wins, including two Cannes Lions, a D&AD Wooden Pencil, and multiple Effies. Its work spans high-impact campaigns, such as raising awareness for rare diseases in Germany, advocating for shark conservation in Austria, and giving underrepresented voices a platform in Switzerland.

Last year saw a notable change at the top of Team Farner, with long-standing owner and managing partner Roman Geiser stepping up to chairman, and Melanie Faithfull Kent, formerly CEO of Hill & Knowlton Europe, being appointed to succeed him as CEO of the European agency group. Other key leaders across the group include Lansons CEO Gordon Tempest-Hay and Michel Grunder, who took over sole management of Team Farner Switzerland at the end of last year as Pablo Koerfer stepped away from the firm.

In terms of culture, Team Farner is focused on promoting gender diversity in leadership and ensuring equal pay. There’s also considerable focus on flexible work arrangements, including a "workation" policy, and a commitment to open collaboration. —MPS