EqualVoice United Spotlight

Diversity of Perspectives Makes the Difference

Michel Grunder, CEO of Team Farner Switzerland, on the benefits of diverse teams and fast-track career paths for part-timers. 

Michel Grunder never attended a traditional management course. He studied philosophy at the University of Berne and entered the PR industry through an internship, following a typical agency career path that culminated in his appointment as sole CEO of Team Farner Switzerland earlier this year. Michel Grunder quickly realised that he enjoys leadership. His management style is based on leading by example and placing a great deal of trust in his team as long as they perform well. “However, if I feel that something isn’t going well or is taking too long, I communicate very clearly. If necessary, I make precise and quick decisions,” he says. This approach has always come naturally to him, as leadership is an innate skill rather than something learned. “This is probably why my leadership style is so authentic and not very adaptable to trendy leadership models,” explains Michel Grunder.

Respect as a Key Factor

At Farner, hierarchies are flat and every opinion counts. “If an intern has a great idea for a client project, it’s ten times better than my bad idea,” says the CEO. He actively encourages his team to contribute, speak up and stand by their opinions, which are valued and  celebrated. “I believe this has an immense impact on the way people interact within an agency. Mutual respect and the inclusion of different generations, genders and language regions are really part of our daily life,” says Michel Grunder. To promote open communication, Farner encourages the exchange of ideas through special dialogue formats such as “Close the Gap” and regular mentoring meetings, where employees can discuss topics such as the compatibility of work and family. “How we deal with such issues is also a delicate matter for us,” he admits. While privacy concerns prevent the company from initiating discussions about family planning, a foundation of mutual trust allows for open discussions about career development. When challenges arise, his door is always open.

Equal Opportunities and Career Development

“Equal opportunities, gender equality and equal pay have always been a matter of course at Farner,” explains Michel Grunder. Nevertheless, there was room for improvement in some areas, such as the gender balance at senior management level. Today, Farner has a well-balanced team at all levels, including many part-time employees, a practice that began more than two decades ago. This includes many young fathers who have reduced their working hours to spend more time with their families, allowing their partners to pursue their own careers. “We have taken great care to ensure that career progression and fast-track opportunities are not dependent on 100% availability. This ensures that both women and men – often due to family commitments – have equal opportunities even when working part-time,” he says.

Embracing Diversity for Success

In addition to gender equality, Farner also promotes generational diversity. While communications agencies typically have young teams, almost a fifth of Farner’s employees are over fifty, with many staying on until retirement. “This enriches us enormously – but we don’t have any special programmes for it; it’s just part of who we are,” says Michel Grunder.

There’s always a need for different perspectives – whether it’s gender, generation or professional background. “One of Farner’s unique selling points is that we have creatives, PR consultants, technical experts and programmers. When we approach a problem with all these different skills, we often find surprising solutions that wouldn’t come from a purely advertising or political consultancy perspective,” explains the CEO. A diverse mix of skills and personalities, genders, generations and languages is essential to finding integrated solutions. “Diverse teams are simply much better teams,” concludes Michel Grunder.

March, 2025

Source: This is a translation of the article originally published in HANDELSZEITUNG, EqualVoice United Special, on March 6, 2025.