Company development

Founding phase through to the post-war period

In 1879 Theodor Funk founded the Th. Funk general agency in Berlin, with a focus on transport insurance. Over the following years, the company expanded to include all divisions and a number of insurance companies thanks to Funk’s son, Leberecht Funk.

Dr Leberecht Funk, Jr, and Ulrich Funk, the eldest sons from the third Funk generation, joined the company in 1933 and expanded it especially in the medium-sized and large-scale industrial business. At the end of World War II, Leberecht Funk, Sr, rebuilt the Berlin-based company together with his son Dr Leberecht Funk, Jr.

From Hamburg, Ulrich Funk and Heinz Winkelmann, along with the younger brothers of the third Funk generation, Klaus and Heinz Funk, rebuilt the companies L. Funk & Söhne and L. Funk Versicherungsdienst.

Establishment of a network of offices

The 1950s saw the continual expansion of Funk’s network of offices throughout Germany. The first offices were in Hamburg, Essen, Frankfurt, Hanover, Munich and Reutlingen.

Additional offices were opened in important economic regions, including the new federal states which existed after Germany reunited.

Today Funk is close to its clients with 15 offices throughout Germany.

Internationalisation

Under the leadership of Dr Leberecht Funk, the great-grandson of the company founder, Funk, Stewart Wrightson (International) GmbH was founded in 1973 with London business associates to support the growing international business. In 1987 the company was renamed Funk International GmbH.

After founding a European broker firm, FDG (Funk Diot GrECo S. A., Luxembourg) in 1994, Funk and its cooperative partners created the platform for a close global partnership, the combination of resources and the transfer of knowledge and expertise through ‘Funk-JLT-SIACI, The European Alliance’. Funk has supported its clients worldwide with its own partner network, the Funk Alliance, since 2000. At that time, just like today, the global Funk Alliance is the only broker network managed from the German-speaking world.

Between 2000 and 2006, after Funk’s own international offices in Poland and Italy were founded, Funk’s own global presence was strengthened through additional offices in Austria, Hungary and Romania. In 2008, an office in Switzerland was added, Liechtenstein followed in 2018 and Shanghai in 2019.

Growth and industry specialisation

On the national market as well, Funk has been able to boast continual significant growth in the industrial business since 1970. Consistent orientation around individual client needs also led to strengthened industry specialisation with a holistic approach to risk management – flanked by the aim to offer suitable IT solutions.

Creative industry-oriented insurance strategies, the founding of special broker firms in the fields of healthcare and real estate and a risk management-oriented consultancy firm for the healthcare sector are the result of strategic development since the 1990s, led by Dr Dieter Schwanke, Dr Wolfgang Bühler and Claudius Jochheim.

Development into a systemprovider for risk solutions

As early as 2000, Funk was offering comprehensive operational risk management through its new consultancy firm as one of the pioneers on the German market and became the market leader in Germany in this field.

In 2006 Funk strengthened its existing competency in the field of company pensions with the acquisition of a consultancy firm specialising in pensions.

The pension specialists at Funk have been active since 2011 under the companies Funk Vorsorgeberatung and Funk Pensionsmanagement. With the service components of insurance management, pensions and risk management, Funk became a system provider for risk solutions, supporting its clients with a holistic approach.

Funk – a family-run company

As an extended family-run company, members of the founding family as well as excellent management personalities have been active members of the Management Board since 1879. In 1970 after the founding phase and World War I and II, Klaus-Ulrich Funk and Dr Wolfgang Bühler became Managing Partners. In 1980 the company transitioned from its third to its fourth generation, consisting of Dr Leberecht Funk, Dr Jörg-Heiner Funk and Dr Dieter Schwanke.

In 2012, the shareholders initiated the beginning of the generational transition at the shareholder level from the fourth to the fifth family generation. The next generation of shareholders are Dr Anja Funk-Münchmeyer, Alexander Funk, Robert Funk and Bernhard C. Schwanke.

In 2021, the group of managing partners consisting of Thomas Abel, Christoph Bülk, Yorck Hillegaart and Claudius Jochheim was expanded: Ralf Becker, Dr Anja Funk-Münchmeyer, Hendrik F. Löffler and Bernhard C. Schwanke were appointed to the management. Ralf Becker and Hendrik F. Löffler join the circle of Funk partners. The successful company history is continued in the 5th generation in close cooperation with the partners Alexander Funk, management, and Robert Funk.

Today

Today Funk has around 1,460 employees in 36 offices both in Germany and abroad and provides comprehensive support to its clients in all matters concerning insurance management, company pensions and risk management.

Funk operates around the globe through its offices in different European countries as well as through Funk’s powerful international broker network, the Funk Alliance, managed centrally from Germany.