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Timeline – 140 years of Funk

In 2019, we celebrated our 140th anniversary: When Theodor Funk founded the Th. Funk general agency in Berlin in 1879, he made history. From the beginning, risk solutions for companies have stood at the centre of our operations – first with a focus on transport insurance, and then over the course of the years with an ever expanding portfolio of industries and services. Real entrepreneurial spirit paired with accountability and a passion for innovation and development is and has always been the basis for the organic growth of our company. Find out more about the most significant events in our company’s 140-year old history in our timeline.

 

1879 - 1932

Founding in Berlin

1879

Theodor Funk founds the Th. Funk general agency in Berlin, with a focus on transport insurance.

1907
The founding of Th. Funk und Sohn Assekuranz with Leberecht Funk gives decisive momentum to the company’s development.

1911
Leberecht Funk founds Funk & Laude to give the company greater flexibility as it expands to include all divisions and a number of insurance companies.

1918
The company overcomes the setbacks of World War I. Th. Funk & Co. is founded with partners Hans Streckfuß, Theodor Funk, Jr, Nelly Funk and Dr Emil Ernst Funcke.

1926
Leberecht Funk and Rudolf Auerswald found insurance broker firm Funk & Auerswald, with a focus on the aviation industry.

1933 - 1956

Focus on large-scale industrial business

1933
Dr Leberecht Funk, Jr, and Ulrich Funk, the eldest sons from the third Funk generation, join the company and expand it especially in the medium-sized and large-scale industrial business.

1939
Leberecht Funk Versicherungsdienst is founded in Hamburg.

1940
The broker firm is renamed L. Funk & Söhne GmbH. The cross-regional network of offices built up systematically in the 1920s bears fruit.

1945
At the end of World War II, Leberecht Funk, Sr, rebuilds the Berlin-based company together with his son Dr Leberecht Funk, Jr. It quickly becomes one of the most important insurance intermediaries in the city. From Hamburg, Ulrich Funk and Heinz Winkelmann, along with Klaus and Heinz Funk, who become shareholders in 1948, rebuild the companies L. Funk & Söhne and L. Funk Versicherungsdienst.

1957 - 1976

Expansion of international business

1957
L. Funk & Söhne opens branches in Hamburg, Essen, Frankfurt, Hanover, Munich and Reutlingen.

1962
The connection with brothers Dr Wolfgang and Klaus Bühler leads to the founding of Bühler, Funk & Co. insurance brokers, Schorndorf/Württemberg.

1970
Klaus-Ulrich Funk and Dr Wolfgang Bühler are appointed to the Management Board as shareholders. Both have been working for the company since the mid-1950s.

1973
Under the leadership of Dr Leberecht Funk, the company Funk, Stewart Wrightson (International) GmbH is founded with London business associates to support the growing international business. From 1979 it operates under the name Funk & Co. (International) GmbH, insurance and re-insurance brokers, and from 1987 it operates under the name Funk International GmbH, insurance and re-insurance brokers.

1977 - 1990

Expansion to new federal states

1977
Funk transforms by merging and founding corporations. The company is dual-domiciled in Hamburg and Berlin with Hamburg being its headquarter. The transformation also serves as a transition to the fourth generation. With the appointment of Dr Leberecht Funk and Dr Jörg-Heiner Funk as Managing Directors, the fourth generation has now fully taken the helm.  Dr Dieter Schwanke joins the young team as a Managing Director.

1980
Transition from the third to the fourth generation. Dr Leberecht Funk, Dr Jörg-Heiner Funk and Dr Dieter Schwanke become Funk Group shareholders.

1982
Additional Funk offices are opened in Freiburg and Nuremberg.

1989

The Cologne office opens.

1990
Offices are opened in Erfurt, Dresden, Leipzig and Schwerin once Germany reunites.

1991 - 1996

Specialisation in real estate

1991
Together with Aareon AG, a broker firm specialising in real estate is founded in the form of BauSecura. Hans König is the Managing Director.
The Regensburg office opens.

1992Funk strengthens its specialisation in real estate and together with BBT Berlin Brandenburgischen Treuhandsgesellschaft founds Funk-BBT GmbH. Claudius Jochheim and Ludwig Schönefeldt are the Managing Directors.

Claudius Jochheim is appointed Managing Director of the Berlin founding office. Together with Dr Wolfgang Bühler, he carried out the business of the Funk Group from Berlin.

All Funk companies are merged under the umbrella of the founded holding company Funk Gruppe GmbH.

1995
Claudius Jochheim becomes Managing Director of L. Funk & Söhne GmbH.

1996
At the end of the year, Dr Jörg-Heiner Funk retires from active management but remains available in an advisory capacity as a shareholder.

1997 - 1999

Specialisation in healthcare

1997
Funk Hospital-Versicherungsmakler GmbH is founded to support the special hospital market. L. Funk & Söhne expands the Funk Group’s national sales network by opening the Kaiserslautern office.

1998
Dr Wolfgang Bühler retires as a Managing Partner but remains closely connected to the company. At the same time, Claudius Jochheim becomes a partner and is therefore a Managing Partner of the Funk Group. Klaus Bühler retires. With his retirement as a Managing Partner, L. Funk & Söhne GmbH (Stuttgart) is merged with L. Funk & Söhne GmbH (Hamburg).

1999
Gerd Liermann joins Dr Dieter Schwanke as Managing Director of Funk Hospital-Versicherungmakler GmbH.

2000 - 2002

International broker network

2000
Thomas Abel and Yorck Hillegaart become additional Managing Directors of L. Funk & Söhne GmbH. In addition to Funk International Netherlands, Funk’s international presence is expanded in Italy with Funk International SpA and in Poland with Funk International Polska Sp.z o.o.

Funk’s cooperative partners – Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc (fifth largest broker worldwide) and SIACI Groupe de Service d'Assurance (fourth largest broker in France) – create 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 acquires RMCE RiskCon GmbH & Co. KG.

2001
The Bielefeld office joins Funk’s network of offices in Germany.

2002
Funk acquires the fourth largest broker firm in Austria – now known as Funk International Austria GmbH.

The company has a presence in Hungary in the form of Funk International Hungaria Kft in Budapest.
 

2002 - 2004

Funk celebrates 125 years of success

2002
Funk Health Care Consulting GmbH is founded under the management of Wolf-Dieter Kelch and Dr Dieter Schwanke as a consultancy firm for risk management in hospitals.

Dr Jörg Bräunig becomes Managing Director of BauSecura, the special insurance broker specialising in real estate.

2003
Christoph Bülk becomes Managing Director of L. Funk & Söhne GmbH. Christine Seiler is appointed Managing Director of Funk-BBT GmbH.

2004
Funk celebrates 125 years of success with around 700 employees.

With Funk Humanitas GmbH Funk is having a special insurance broker for welfare agencies and aid organisations under the Funk umbrella.

2006 - 2008

New Funk offices in Europe

2006
Thomas Abel, Christoph Bülk and Yorck Hillegaart are appointed Managing Directors of Funk Gruppe GmbH at the start of the year.

Funk founds a separate office in Romania: Funk International Romania - Broker de Asigurare si Reasigurare SRL.

With the majority acquisition of Böhm Consultants, which specialises in company pensions, Funk expands its previous competencies to include this dynamic business field.

2007
Thomas Abel, Christoph Bülk and Yorck Hillegaart join the elite group of Funk partners in June 2007.

2008
Funk begins a strategic partnership with the third largest independent broker firm in Switzerland, GWP Insurance Brokers AG, in June – another step in Funk’s expansion in Europe. Both companies have enjoyed a successful partnership since as early as 2006.

2008

System house of risk solutions

2008

Funk acquires all shares of RMCE RiskCon GmbH, which now begins operating as Funk RMCE GmbH. Hendrik F. Löffler and Yorck Hillegaart are the Managing Directors of the company consultancy firm, which specialises in operational risk management.

After 37 years as a Managing Partner of the Funk Group, Dr Dieter Schwanke steps down on 1 January 2008 to take on an advisory role.

A new level of management is established on 1 January 2008 to support the Management Board of the holding company. It comprises Thomas Gaze, Wolfram Nieradzik and Thomas Harder.
Dr Leberecht Funk turns 66 years old and steps down from the Management Board of the Funk Group and all other Funk companies at the end of the year in accordance with the articles of incorporation. He remains closely connected to the company in an advisory capacity and as a shareholder.

2009 - 2011

Expansion of the pension business

2009
Funk celebrates 130 years of success.

2010
With special insurance broker Funk Minerva Energie Assekuranz GmbH, Funk strengthens its commitment to the energy market. The new company combines special technical knowledge about gas, coal and water power plants as well as renewable energies like wind, solar and bio-energy and geothermal energy.

2011
The pension specialists restructure and begin operating under Funk Vorsorgeberatung GmbH and Funk Pensionsmanagement GmbH, insurance broker for pensions. Rainald Meyer becomes a new Managing Director of Funk Vorsorgeberatung GmbH and Funk Pensionsmanagement GmbH alongside Christoph Bülk and Claudius Jochheim.

Mathias Lenschow becomes a Managing Director of Funk Health Care Consulting GmbH.

Funk and GWP initiate a successful, ever closer partnership to further strengthen the ties of both companies. GWP is now the Swiss company of the Funk Group.

2012 - 2013

Transition to the fifth generation

2012
The Funk Group shareholders start the next transition from the fourth to the fifth generation, consisting of Dr Anja Funk-Münchmeyer, Alexander Funk, Robert Funk and Bernhard C. Schwanke. Dr Jörg-Heiner Funk retires in connection with the transfer as a Funk Group shareholder. Otherwise the group of partners remains the same.

Christine Seiler joins the Management Board of BauSecura, the special insurance broker for real estate.

2013
Bernhard C. Schwanke is appointed a Managing Director of Funk-Hospital-Versicherungsmakler GmbH.

Silvana Sand joins the Management Board of Funk-BBT GmbH.

2014 - 2015

Funk celebrates 135 years of success

2014
The company celebrates 135 years of success.

Funk’s Swiss company begins operating as Funk Insurance Brokers AG (Switzerland). Renaming and rebranding the company so it is uniform with the Group underlines and publicises the already completed process of merging.

The management team in the field of healthcare is expanded: Mathias Lenschow joins the Management Board of Funk Hospital.

Rüdiger Bexte joins Thomas Ollech in the Management Board of Funk Humanitas.

Wolfram Nieradzik is appointed a Managing Director of Th. Funk & Sohn.

2015
Funk shareholder Dr Leberecht Funk and his wife Maritta Funk privately found the Funk Foundation. The foundation funds scientific and practice-oriented projects in all matters concerning risk research and risk management. It is the largest private foundation with this aim.

Lars Thieme joins the Management Board of Funk Vorsorgeberatung. Horst Ullrich is appointed Managing Director of VZP (Versicherungsstelle Zellstoff und Papier).

Ralf Becker and Klaus Schweigert are appointed to the Funk Management Board.

2016 - 2017

Expansion of company management

2016
Funk has been growing continually for years and now employs around 1,100 employees in Germany and abroad. As part of its growth, the company management is expanded: Dr Anja Funk-Münchmeyer, Alexander Funk, Dr Frank Hennings and Bernhard C. Schwanke are appointed to the Funk Management Board.

Dietmar Kalisch joins the Management Board of Funk-BBT GmbH, the special insurance broker for real estate.

Funk merges its two broker forms, L. Funk & Söhne GmbH and Funk International GmbH into one large broker firm operating under the new name of ‘Funk Versicherungsmakler GmbH’. At the same time, the risk management subsidiary, Funk RMCE GmbH, is renamed Funk Risk Consulting GmbH.

2017
Hendrik F. Löffler and Thomas Wang are appointed to the Funk Management Board. Dr Alexander Klein joins the Management Board of the consultancy firm Funk Health Care Consulting GmbH specialized in healthcare. The Management Board of the underwriting agency Th. Funk & Sohn GmbH consists of Wolfram Nieradzik and Christoph Bülk.

After 46 years of business activities at Funk Dr. Dieter Schwanke transferred his remaining shares to his son Bernhard C. Schwanke in the end of 2017. Thus, Dr. Schwanke withdraws as shareholder of the company.

2018 - 2019

Funk celebrates 140 years of success

2018
Ralf Becker and Bernhard C. Schwanke are new additions to the management board of Funk Versicherungsmakler GmbH.

The management board of Funk-BBT Versicherungsmakler GmbH with a focus on real estate business is restructured. Following the resignation of Christine Seiler and Hartmut Heidenreich, Kay Schulte joins the Management Board. 

On August 1, 2018, Funk opens a new subsidiary "Funk Insurance Broker AG" based in Vaduz in the Principality of Liechtenstein. Managing partner is Andy Bircher.

2019
Funk celebrates 140 years of success. 

Dario Koch is appointed as a member of the management board of the Funk Hospital Versicherungsmakler GmbH. 

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. In doing so, Funk is the largest family-run insurance broker and risk consultant in Germany and a leading broker firm in Europe.

Lars Thieme, Managing Director of Funk Vorsorgeberatung GmbH, additionally takes over the management of Funk Pensionsmanagement GmbH.

2020 - 2021

Continuous transition to the next generation

2020
Funk adds another component to its long-standing China expertise and establishes a subsidiary in Shanghai. Funk Risk Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. focuses on risk and insurance consulting for outbound investments of Chinese companies.  

2021
Funk expands its management team for a continuous transition to the next generation. On 1 January 2021, Ralf Becker, Dr. Anja Funk-Münchmeyer, Hendrik F. Löffler and Bernhard C. Schwanke will be appointed to the management of Funk Gruppe GmbH from within the company. Dr. Anja Funk-Münchmeyer and Bernhard C. Schwanke come from the shareholder families and have been active as shareholders for many years. Ralf Becker and Hendrik Löffler are newly admitted to the circle of Funk partners in this move. Funk thus continues a culture of leadership from the shareholder families as well as new partners. 

At the same time, Lars Thieme and Ulvert Hemkhaus strengthen the management of the Funk Group at the beginning of the year.

In addition, Silvana Sand is appointed as the new Managing Director of BauSecura Versicherungsmakler GmbH and Dr Alexander Klein becomes part of the management of Funk Hospital-Versicherungsmakler GmbH.

2022

Organic growth and intelligent services

As of 1 January 2022, after 14 years as managing partner of the Funk Group, Yorck Hillegaart is now a consulting partner. John-Asmus Burmester is a new member of the management of the Funk Group. In addition, selected subsidiaries receive management reinforcements: Doreen Fischer complements the management of BauSecura Versicherungsmakler GmbH; Nicolai Kurth that of Assekuradeur Th. Funk & Sohn GmbH.

1,460 employees and a total annual turnover of 210 million euros reflect Funk's organic growth. In transferring risk to the insurance market, Funk represents its clients with an annual premium volume of 2.0 billion euros.

Funk develops innovative products and services for a changing risk landscape, especially in the context of digitisation and globalisation. The focus is on cyber and geopolitical risks, for example, but also on challenges related to business interruptions and sustainability. In the area of risk prevention, modern tools such as AI or sensor technology are used.

With 36 international offices and the network “The Funk Alliance“, Funk is active worldwide. This makes Funk the largest family-run insurance broker and risk consultant in Germany and one of the leading brokerage houses in Europe.