# Kekst CNC

> Kekst CNC is a Publicis Groupe-owned strategic communications consultancy built for consequential corporate moments: mergers, activist campaigns, cyber incidents, restructurings, litigation, IPOs and reputational crises. Formed in 2018 by combining New York's Kekst & Company with Munich-based CNC, it pairs senior counsel with research, analytics, creative execution and a network of more than 300 professionals across 15 offices.

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Founders:** Gershon Kekst (Founder, Kekst & Company), Christoph Walther (Co-founder, CNC), Roland Klein (Co-founder, CNC), Sigmar Mosdorf (Co-founder, CNC)
- **Products:** Special situations and crisis counsel, Transactions and financial communications, Corporate reputation and positioning, Research, Analytics and Insights, Executive Impact Score
- **Notable:** Kekst advised on landmark transactions including KKR's takeover of RJR Nabisco, Time's merger with Warner Communications and Citicorp's merger with Travelers., The combined firm said it would have ranked second globally in Mergermarket's 2017 M&A communications league table., Kekst CNC led Mergermarket's global and UK M&A PR tables in the first half of 2019 after advising on 124 deals worth a combined $335 billion.

## Products & services

- **Special situations and crisis counsel** — Preparation, response and recovery communications for crises, litigation, regulatory investigations, cyber incidents and other high-pressure events.
- **Transactions and financial communications** — Communications for M&A, IPOs, secondary fundraising, restructurings, bankruptcies, private capital and investor relations.
- **Corporate reputation and positioning** — Narrative, stakeholder, media and executive positioning for companies and leaders seeking to grow, transform or protect reputation.
- **Research, Analytics and Insights** — Primary research, stakeholder analysis, social and media intelligence, and data-led communications planning.
- **Executive Impact Score** — An AI-assisted and expert-reviewed measurement system, developed with Oxford University Innovation linguistics specialists, that scores seven features of leaders' spoken communication.
- **Creative Studio** — Creative strategy, campaigns, identity, digital experience, production and data visualization connected to strategic counsel.

## Achievements

- Kekst advised on landmark transactions including KKR's takeover of RJR Nabisco, Time's merger with Warner Communications and Citicorp's merger with Travelers.
- The combined firm said it would have ranked second globally in Mergermarket's 2017 M&A communications league table.
- Kekst CNC led Mergermarket's global and UK M&A PR tables in the first half of 2019 after advising on 124 deals worth a combined $335 billion.
- Its IPO team says it has advised companies in more than 40 countries on offerings that raised well over $200 billion.
- Chambers and Partners ranked the firm Band 1 globally for both Crisis Communications and Cybersecurity Communications in its 2026 guide.
- Mergermarket's 2025 global table credited Kekst CNC with 165 announced deals valued at about $115.8 billion.

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Minako Otani became Co-Head Japan alongside Jochen Legewie as the firm expanded leadership in a fast-changing Japanese M&A market.
- **2025-12** — Richard Campbell was named co-CEO effective February 8, 2026, initially alongside Jeremy Fielding.
- **2026-03** — Lyndsey Estin became co-CEO leading U.S. operations, succeeding Jeremy Fielding; Campbell leads non-U.S. operations.
- **2026-03** — The firm contributed to the Chambers 2026 Crisis Management Practice Guide with a chapter on simultaneous political, regulatory, legal, market and reputational pressure.
- **2026-07** — Kekst CNC reported placing in Mergermarket's global top five for both deal value and deal count in the first half of 2026.
- **2026-08** — The firm highlighted new work on AI-driven disinformation, cyber recovery and evidence behind digital-sovereignty claims through its research and video series.

## Links

- Website: https://www.kekstcnc.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kekst-cnc/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/KekstCNC
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kekstandcompany

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kekst-cnc
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-24