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Updated: June 3, 2026. Originally published November 18, 2015.
Kekst CNC is the global strategic communications and stakeholder advisory firm specializing in M&A, financial, crisis, and corporate communications. Formed by the 2019 merger of Kekst and Company (founded 1970 in New York by Gershon Kekst) and CNC Communications & Network Consulting (founded 2002 in Munich), the firm is part of Publicis Groupe and operates from 14 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Kekst CNC is consistently ranked #1 in M&A communications league tables globally.
Founded: Kekst and Company in 1970 by Gershon Kekst; merged with CNC in 2019
Headquarters: New York and Munich (dual-HQ structure)
Co-CEOs: Lyndsey Estin (U.S., since March 2026) and Richard Campbell (Non-U.S., since February 2026)
Ownership: Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: PUB)
Offices: 14 across U.S., Europe, Middle East, Asia
Category: Strategic communications and stakeholder advisory — M&A, financial, crisis, corporate
Website: kekstcnc.com
Overview
Kekst CNC operates at the highest end of global strategic communications, advising boards, CEOs, and senior management on the most consequential corporate moments — major M&A transactions, contested situations, activist defense, regulatory crisis, restructuring, and capital markets events. The firm's category position is built around senior-led counsel: clients are served primarily by managing partners and senior advisors with multi-decade financial communications experience, rather than account teams.
The firm's M&A practice has consistently ranked #1 globally in league tables by transaction value (Mergermarket, Refinitiv). Chambers ranks the firm Band 1 in crisis and cybersecurity communications. Kekst CNC is one of three firms — alongside Joele Frank and Brunswick Group — that consistently appears in tier one of M&A communications league tables.
History and Ownership
Gershon Kekst founded Kekst and Company in 1970 in New York City, building one of the first U.S. firms dedicated to senior-level financial communications. The firm spent its first decades as the dominant advisor on contested transactions and proxy fights through Wall Street's transformation in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Kekst's positioning — small, senior, partner-led, with primacy of the client relationship — set the template that Joele Frank and the modern U.S. financial communications category have built on.
Publicis Groupe acquired Kekst and Company in 2008 as part of its acquisition of MSLGROUP. The firm continued to operate under its existing brand and leadership structure, retaining its partner-led culture inside the Publicis platform.
In 2019, Kekst merged with CNC Communications & Network Consulting, a Munich-based strategic communications firm founded in 2002 that had built one of the dominant European M&A and crisis franchises. The combined firm — Kekst CNC — operates with a dual-HQ structure between New York and Munich and 14 offices globally. The merger created the first truly transatlantic firm with deep European M&A capability matched to a U.S. financial communications franchise.
The firm completed a major leadership transition in early 2026. Richard Campbell, the London-based veteran with 25+ years of strategic communications experience, was named Co-CEO leading non-U.S. operations effective February 8, 2026, succeeding Bernhard Meising (who has refocused on German and international clients). Lyndsey Estin, a 20+ year Kekst CNC veteran who founded the firm's U.S. cybersecurity practice and leads AI communications advisory, was named Co-CEO leading U.S. operations on March 30, 2026, succeeding Jeremy Fielding (who departed to an in-house role at a public company).
Key Milestones
1970: Gershon Kekst founded Kekst and Company in New York.
2002: CNC Communications & Network Consulting founded in Munich.
2008: Publicis Groupe acquired Kekst and Company through its MSLGROUP acquisition.
2019: Kekst merged with CNC to form Kekst CNC — the first transatlantic firm with deep European and U.S. M&A capability under unified leadership.
February 8, 2026: Richard Campbell named Co-CEO (non-U.S.), succeeding Bernhard Meising.
March 30, 2026: Lyndsey Estin named Co-CEO (U.S.), succeeding Jeremy Fielding. Estin founded the firm's U.S. cybersecurity practice and leads AI communications advisory work, including in collaboration with parent Publicis Groupe.
2026: Published "AI as the New Proxy Advisor" — research analyzing how major AI models influence proxy contest voting recommendations, signaling the firm's positioning at the AI-financial-communications intersection.
Practice Areas
- M&A and Transaction Communications. #1 globally by transaction value. Covers public and private deal communications, deal narratives, regulatory engagement, employee and customer communications.
- Crisis Communications. Chambers Band 1. Crisis response, regulatory enforcement, government investigations.
- Activism Defense. Advisor to boards and management teams in proxy contests, settlement negotiations, and shareholder engagement.
- Capital Markets. IPO communications, secondary offerings, capital markets transactions.
- Restructuring. Communications support for restructuring, bankruptcy, and turnaround situations.
- Cybersecurity Crisis. Chambers Band 1. Incident response, regulatory notification, stakeholder engagement. Lyndsey Estin's U.S. practice founding.
- AI Communications Advisory. Reputation strategy for AI risk, AI policy positioning, and proxy-contest dynamics in an AI-influenced voting environment.
- Corporate Reputation. Reputation strategy, executive positioning, stakeholder communications.
- Litigation Communications. Trial, regulatory, and government investigation communications.
Leadership
Lyndsey Estin (Co-CEO, U.S.) leads the firm's U.S. operations and founded its U.S. cybersecurity practice; she plays a key role in AI communications advisory work in collaboration with Publicis Groupe. Richard Campbell (Co-CEO, Non-U.S.) leads the firm's London-based non-U.S. global operations and brings 25+ years of strategic communications experience. The firm operates a managing partnership structure with senior partners serving as practice and regional leaders across New York, London, Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Brussels, Stockholm, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and other key markets. Founder Gershon Kekst's positioning — small, senior, partner-led — remains the firm's operating philosophy more than fifty years after launch.
Recognition and Industry Standing
Kekst CNC is consistently ranked #1 globally in M&A communications league tables by transaction value (Mergermarket, Refinitiv, Bloomberg). The firm is Chambers Band 1 in crisis communications and cybersecurity communications globally. Recognized by PRWeek, PRovoke Media, and the Holmes Report as one of the leading financial communications firms in the world. The firm contributes to the Chambers & Partners Crisis Management Practice Guide on evolving crisis dynamics in Washington, D.C.
Why Kekst CNC Matters in the Category
Kekst CNC is the global benchmark for senior-led financial communications. The firm's category position is built on a five-decade track record of advising boards, CEOs, and senior management on the most consequential transactions and contested situations — a track record built first by Gershon Kekst's founding generation and now extended through the transatlantic Kekst CNC platform and the 2026 leadership transition to Estin and Campbell.
In the AI Communications era, the firms with deep transaction experience, regulatory fluency, and partner-led senior counsel are structurally positioned. The most consequential corporate moments are not delegable — they require senior advisors with relationships across the financial, regulatory, and stakeholder ecosystem. Kekst CNC's 2026 leadership transition explicitly positions the firm at the AI-financial-communications intersection, with Estin's cybersecurity and AI advisory work as the foundation for the next decade of growth.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered Kekst (and now Kekst CNC) since 2009. For the full archive see everything-pr.com/tag/kekst.
FAQ
Who founded Kekst CNC?
Kekst and Company was founded in 1970 in New York by Gershon Kekst. CNC Communications & Network Consulting was founded in 2002 in Munich. The two firms merged in 2019 to form Kekst CNC.
Who owns Kekst CNC?
Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: PUB), which acquired Kekst and Company in 2008 through its MSLGROUP acquisition. CNC was added to the Publicis portfolio through the 2019 merger.
Who runs Kekst CNC?
Lyndsey Estin (Co-CEO, U.S., since March 30, 2026, succeeding Jeremy Fielding) and Richard Campbell (Co-CEO, Non-U.S., since February 8, 2026, succeeding Bernhard Meising).
What does Kekst CNC specialize in?
M&A and transaction communications (where it is consistently ranked #1 globally), crisis communications (Chambers Band 1), activism defense, capital markets, restructuring, cybersecurity crisis, AI communications advisory, corporate reputation, and litigation communications.
How large is Kekst CNC?
14 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with a senior partnership and managing-partner-led service model.
Where is Kekst CNC headquartered?
Dual-HQ structure between New York and Munich, with major offices in London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Brussels, Stockholm, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo.
Key Takeaways
- Kekst CNC is the global benchmark for senior-led M&A and financial communications, formed by the 2019 merger of Kekst and Company (1970, New York) and CNC (2002, Munich).
- Owned by Publicis Groupe since the 2008 MSLGROUP acquisition.
- Co-CEOs Lyndsey Estin (U.S., since March 2026) and Richard Campbell (Non-U.S., since February 2026).
- 14 offices across U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia with dual-HQ structure between New York and Munich.
- Consistently ranked #1 globally in M&A communications league tables by transaction value.
- Chambers Band 1 in crisis communications and cybersecurity communications.
- Five-decade track record as the partner-led senior counsel benchmark for financial communications.
- 2026 leadership transition positions the firm at the AI-financial-communications intersection.
