Farner International Acquires The Skills Group
(MENAFN- PRovoke)
ZURICH - Farner International has acquired its fourth agency this year, after buying 100% of Austrian PR agency The Skills Group. The fast-growing European agency alliance is now thought to be the largest communications group in Austria.
The Skills Group, led by Jürgen Gangoly (pictured), was founded in 1984 and specialises in sensitive and complex areas of communications, working with corporations, public bodies, institutions, start-ups and NGOs. Its clients include American Express, google and Mars. The deal also includes The Skills Group's subsidiaries: digital agency Datenwerk, and the Austrian office of marketing agency All Channels Communication. In total, a team of 40 communication consultants, digital and marketing experts joins Farner.
Shareholders of The Skills Group – Gangoly, Stefan Sengl, Jörg Wollmann and Helmut Stögerer – become partners at Farner International. In addition, Gangoly will set up and manage an internal training and development division, Farner Academy, across the European group.
Last month, Farner made its first move into germany with the acquisition of strategic communications consultancy Kirchhoff Consult and creative and consulting firm Komm.passion, and also bought zurich behavioural science specialist affective advisory .
In November last year Farner acquired Kobza Media Group, in Austria, and its agency brands KTHE, Alpha Z, Massgeschneidert, Diego5 and Darwin's Lab. The same month, it bought VIM Group in the Netherlands, which specialises in brand transformation and technology. After a number of other recent acquisitions, the group also now includes nextgen specialist Jim & Jim, digital agency Yoveo and digital marketing agency BlueGlass.
All the acquisitions were funded through investment from private equity firm Waterland, which also took a majority stake in markettiers4dc earlier this year.
Farner International executive chairman Roman Geiser said:“We started less than a year ago with great ambitions. Of course, we are immensely pleased to deliver such fast and strong results, especially in our German-speaking markets. Our idea of building and networking national champions to provide fully integrated communication solutions to our clients across Europe is very well received in the market.”
Farner now has 16 partner agencies and more than 600 employees, with a combined fee volume of around €100 million; further expansion is in the pipeline.
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