Farner International market leader in Austria: The Skills Group new member of Team Farner

Team Farner becomes the most important Austrian communications group with Kobza Media Group and Skills Group?

Zurich, 23 February 2023 – The Skills Group, its digital subsidiary Datenwerk and the marketing agency All Channels Communication Austria join "Team Farner". The growing European agency alliance thus represents the largest communication group in Austria after the merger last November with the Kobza Media Group, also based in Austria, and its agencies KTHE, alpha_z, massgeschneidert, diego5 and Darwin's Lab. The move underpins Team Farner's ambition to build national champions in key European markets.?

The Skills Group has been one of Austria's leading communication agencies for decades. It specialises in sensitive and complex topics and accompanies large corporations, public bodies, institutions, start-ups and NGOs. The owner-managed full-service provider is one of the top 5 in Austria. Through its subsidiary Datenwerk, it also offers its clients all digital competencies from a single source. All Channels Communication Austria specialises in high-reach, target group-oriented and channel-independent marketing campaigns. In total, a team of 40 communication consultants, digital and marketing experts joins Team Farner.?

National Champion in Austria??

"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," says Roman Geiser, Executive Chairman Farner International.?

The previous Skills shareholders Jürgen Gangoly, Stefan Sengl, J?rg Wollmann and Helmut St?gerer join the Farner International partnership. Skills Managing Director Jürgen Gangoly will set up the "Farner Academy" at European level and manage this group-internal training and further education institution.?

In addition to Farner Consulting AG in Switzerland, Team Farner currently includes the Austrian communications and marketing group Kobza Media Group; the VIM Group in the Netherlands, which specialises in brand transformation and technology; komm.passion in Germany, a synthesis of management consultancy and creative agency; the experts for capital markets, corporate communications and sustainability from Kirchhoff Consult, also in Germany; the video specialist Yoveo; the digital agency Blueglass; the NextGeneration marketing agency Jim&Jim in Switzerland and Affective Advisory, a leading strategy and policy consultancy for public, private and non-governmental organisations, specialising in the application of the latest findings and methods from behavioural and decision science.?

Currently, Team Farner, with 16 partner agencies and over 600 employees, already combines an agency fee volume of around 100 million euros per year. Further expansion steps are in the pipeline.?

Contact ?

Roman Geiser, Executive Chairman Farner International, +41 79 421 43 62 ?

About Farner International AG / Team Farner ?

Farner International is an alliance of leading consultancies that see communication as a key factor in the success of an organisation. The international agency alliance carries the "Team Farner" brand. The group is led by successful communications entrepreneurs and partners who are themselves active in the consulting business. As an international team of the best minds, Farner combines all disciplines of communication such as strategy, reputation management, sustainability communication, branding, brand management, corporate communication, public affairs, marketing communication, behavioural science, advertising, digital and CommTech. Farner is present in the most important markets and cities. Farner International has its roots in Switzerland, where Farner is the market leader in integrated communications. Founded in 1951, Farner is one of the most established and oldest communication brands in Europe. ?

www.team-farner.com??

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About The Skills Group?

Founded in 1984, The Skills Group has been one of Austria's leading PR and communications agencies for almost 40 years. Skills specialises in overall communication for companies and institutions and in the implementation of complex and sensitive communication projects. The agency serves clients such as American Express, Austrian Power Grid (APG), B&C Privatstiftung, B&C Industrieholding, BRZ, EVVA, Google, Mars, Wienerberger, Therme Wien (a division of VAMED Vitality World) as well as numerous institutions, public bodies and associations such as the Chambers of Labour, the MEGA Education Foundation, the EU initiative Saferinternet.at, the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Label and the Institute for Internal Audit Austria (IIA). Skills is quality-certified according to the international Consultancy Management Standard (CMS III), holder of the Austrian PR Quality Label and has won numerous international and national industry awards.?

www.skills.at??

About Waterland ?

Waterland is an independent private equity investment firm that helps entrepreneurs achieve their growth objectives. With substantial financial support and industry expertise, Waterland enables its portfolio companies to achieve accelerated growth, both organically and through acquisitions. Waterland has offices in the Netherlands (Bussum), Belgium (Antwerp), France (Paris), Germany (Hamburg, Munich), Poland (Warsaw), the United Kingdom (London, Manchester), Ireland (Dublin), Denmark (Copenhagen), Spain (Barcelona) and Switzerland (Zurich). Currently, approximately fourteen billion euros in equity funds are under management. ?

Waterland has extensive experience in professional services, communications and technology through related investments in several European countries, including iO, Dept and Sideshow (digital agencies), Horn & Company (top management consulting), mrge (advertising technology), Moore Belgium (accounting and consulting services provider) and Valcon (data analytics & process consulting). ?

Waterland has consistently achieved above-average performance with its investments since its founding in 1999. The firm is ranked fourth globally in the HEC/Dow Jones Private Equity Performance Ranking 2022 and eighth among global private equity firms in the Preqin Consistent Performers in Global Private Equity & Venture Capital Report 2020. In addition, Real Deals awarded Waterland the title "Pan-European House of the Year 2020" at the PE Awards. ?