Teneo advisory firm

Choosing between Lansons vs Teneo is not like choosing between two flavors of the same thing. These two agencies occupy very different positions in the UK communications landscape, and understanding that difference could save you a lot of time, money, and frustration. Lansons is the integrated comms specialist that grew from a financial services stronghold into a broader reputation management firm. Teneo is the global CEO advisory machine that works at the intersection of strategic communications, financial transactions, and high-stakes corporate counsel. Both Lansons vs Teneo are well-regarded, the and both command serious fees. But they serve fundamentally different needs. So, the Lansons vs Teneo showdown begins here. Let’s get into it.   Lansons: The Integrated UK Comms Agency With a Record-Breaking 2024 Lansons has been a fixture in the UK communications market since 1989, when co-founders Tony Langham and Clare Parsons launched the firm in London. Over 35 years, it has built a reputation for corporate, financial, public affairs, crisis management, and sustainability communications. In 2023, the agency was acquired by Team Farner, a Swiss-headquartered communications group backed by Waterland Private Equity, operating across Germany, France, Spain, restructuring Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium. Lansons now serves as Team Farner’s UK flagship, operating as Lansons | Team Farner. And 2024 was their best year yet. According to PRovoke Media, Lansons delivered record-breaking financial performance in 2024, growing UK fee income by 16% to £13.3 million, with a 93% client retention rate. More than 70% of retainer clients have stayed for over three years. That’s a remarkable loyalty signal in an industry where switching agencies is common. Additionally, Lansons coined the term “specialist situations” in 2024, a new category of advisory work for scenarios that aren’t full crises but require complex legal, operational, and regulatory expertise. Lansons Key Facts Founded: 1989, London Current structure: Lansons | Team Farner (acquired 2023) Team Farner annual volume: ~$125 million 2024 UK fee income: £13.3 million (+16% year on year) Client retention: 93% Primary strengths: Integrated comms, financial services, public affairs, crisis, sustainability Notable clients: Invesco, Legal & General, Openreach, The National Lottery, Sky Bet   What Lansons Does Well Lansons doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Its work sits at the crossroads of reputation, regulation, and narrative. That’s a tight, coherent proposition — and it shows in the quality of its client relationships. Corporate and Financial Communications: This is Lansons’ original home. The agency built its identity advising financial services firms on investor-facing communications, regulatory reputation, and stakeholder engagement. Invesco and Legal & General are not exactly low-profile clients. Public Affairs: Lansons has a credible public affairs capability that connects communications strategy with policy intelligence. In a post-Brexit UK regulatory environment, this matters considerably to financial and corporate clients managing government exposure. Crisis and Specialist Situations: The “specialist situations” concept is genuinely useful. It fills a gap between everyday reputation management and full crisis response, covering situations where legal, regulatory, and communications counsel must work together under pressure. Sustainability Communications: The agency has invested in this area, notably bringing in an external science advisor for climate campaigns. Its work on The National Lottery’s ‘It’s a Game Changer’ campaign shows an agency that can operate beyond pure financial communications when the brief demands it.   Teneo: The Global CEO Advisory Firm Playing in a Different League If Lansons is a precision instrument for UK integrated communications, Teneo is a full-spectrum advisory machine. Founded in 2011 by Declan Kelly, Paul Keary, and Doug Band, Teneo started as a strategic communications firm and has grown into one of the most formidable advisory organizations in the world. As of 2025, it operates in more than 40 offices globally, employs over 1,800 professionals, and carries a valuation of approximately $2.3 billion, backed by CVC Capital Partners. Its clients include a significant number of the Fortune 100 and FTSE 100. But here’s what makes Teneo genuinely unusual: it does not just do PR. Teneo’s services span strategic communications, investor relations, financial transactions and restructuring, management consulting, physical and cyber risk, organizational design, board and executive search, geopolitics and government affairs, and ESG. Correspondingly, it positions itself not as a PR agency, but as the global CEO advisory firm. That positioning is deliberate. And for the right client, it’s extremely valuable. Teneo Key Facts Founded: 2011, New York Valuation (2025): ~$2.3 billion Staff: 1,800+ across 40+ offices globally Majority owner: CVC Capital Partners Chairwoman: Ursula Burns | CEO: Paul Keary Primary strengths: CEO advisory, M&A communications, investor relations, restructuring, political risk UK expansion: Acquired Blue Rubicon (2015), StockWell, Pendomer Communications, Tulchan (2023) Notable advisors: Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Moore, former U.S. DNI Stacey Dixon, former CENTCOM Commander General Frank McKenzie   What Teneo Is Well Known For Teneo’s advisory model is built around one central idea: that CEOs facing complex, high-stakes situations need counsel that operates across disciplines simultaneously, not separate agencies managing separate workstreams. CEO and Executive Communications: This is the firm’s core identity. Teneo works directly with chief executives on their personal communications, leadership visibility, and strategic positioning. Few agencies operate at this level with this level of integration. M&A and Financial Communications: Teneo’s acquisition of Tulchan in 2023 significantly expanded its M&A advisory capabilities in the UK and Asia Pacific. The firm advises on some of the most complex cross-border transactions in the market. Restructuring Communications: Teneo’s financial advisory division , with 600 employees dedicated to ., makes it genuinely distinct. No other communications firm offers this level of financial advisory depth alongside its PR work. Political Risk Advisory: The recent additions of former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Moore, former U.S. DNI Stacey Dixon, and former CENTCOM Commander General Frank McKenzie to its Global Political Risk Advisory team make Teneo’s geopolitical capabilities essentially unmatched in the agency world.   Read Also: MSL vs Hanover Communications: Healthcare vs Financial PR Battle   Lansons vs Teneo: A Direct Comparison Factor Lansons Teneo   Founded 1989 2011   Structure Independent (Team Farner backed) Global advisory firm (CVC backed)