Kessler & Co

What Kessler & Co does

Kessler & Co is a Zurich-based insurance brokerage and risk management advisory firm serving Swiss enterprise clients across 14 industry verticals, including aviation, construction, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. The firm is organized into dedicated sector teams of 8-12 specialists per industry, combined with cross-sector insurance-line teams covering property, liability, transportation, personal insurance, occupational pensions, international employee benefits, and special risks. Its core service pillars are Risk Management (insurance consulting, risk consulting, HR risk management), Insurance Broking (design, placement, and periodic review of tailored coverage), and Pension Benefits (occupational pension solutions and pension fund management). The firm also operates an in-house legal function for claims handling and runs the Kessler Academy, a structured client-education program.

The underlying technology stack is deliberately light: KesslerOnline provides client self-service access to policy and account information, while a Network Partner Interface supports business partner collaboration. There is no public or partner-facing API, no SDK, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. Kessler is the exclusive Swiss representative of global broker Marsh under a partnership in place since 1998, which gives its clients access to international placement capabilities and Marsh's worldwide resources.

The business model combines insurance broking commissions on placed premiums with professional-services fees for risk and pension advisory. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise field sales, organized by industry vertical, with an emphasis on long-term relationship-based engagement rather than formal RFP processes. Kessler is privately held, headquartered in Zurich, with a Liechtenstein subsidiary (Kessler & Co AG, Vaduz) and two operating subsidiaries — Kessler Consulting AG (risk consulting) and Kessler Vorsorge AG (occupational pensions) — supporting specialized service lines.

Name

Kessler & Co

Legal name

Kessler & Co AG

Website

https://kessler.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kessler & Co is a Zurich-based insurance brokerage and risk management advisory serving Swiss enterprise clients across 14 industry sectors. It combines insurance broking, risk consulting, and occupational pension advisory with exclusive Swiss representation of global broker Marsh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

• Insurance brokerage services
• Risk management consulting
• Occupational pension advisory
• Commercial insurance broking
• Industry-specific insurance solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Broking Commissions: Kessler earns commissions from insurance companies for placing client coverage in the insurance market. This is the core revenue stream, involving design of customized insurance solutions, placement of coverage, and periodic review of risk profiles and insurance solutions.
2. Risk Management Consulting: Advisory services for risk management including insurance consulting, risk consulting, and human resources risk management
3. Occupational Pension Advisory: Advisory services for company pension solutions and pension fund management
4. Special Risks Coverage: Specialized insurance coverage for complex or unusual risks including the 'blue line' product

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kessler & Co is a Swiss insurance brokerage firm that designs and places tailored insurance solutions, provides risk management consulting, and advises on occupational pension benefits for corporate clients. The company organizes dedicated teams across 14 industry sectors and multiple insurance lines, supporting clients with coverage placement, risk profile review, and claims handling. As the exclusive Swiss partner of Marsh, Kessler extends its offering with global insurance market access.

Product overview

Kessler & Co operates as a Swiss insurance broker offering an integrated suite of risk management, insurance broking, and occupational pension services. The core offering comprises three service pillars: Risk Management (including Insurance Consulting, Risk Consulting, and HR Risk Management), Insurance Broking (covering Property, Liability, Transportation/Logistics, Personal, International Employee Benefits, Special Risks, and the blue line brand), and Pension Benefits (including Pension Benefits Solutions and Pension Fund Management). Services are organized by 14 industry sectors including Aviation, Construction, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Production/Manufacturing. The company also operates Kessler Academy (professional education) and maintains client and partner online portals. Kessler serves as the Swiss partner of global broker Marsh.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• blue line: Special risk insurance product line offered by Kessler
• Kessler Academy
• KesslerOnline
• Netzwerkpartner Interface

Products and services

• Insurance Broking Designs tailored insurance solutions, places coverage in the insurance market, and periodically reviews clients' risk profiles and insurance solutions. Covers property, liability, transportation and logistics, personal insurance, international employee benefits, special risks, and the 'blue line' product line. Targeted at corporate clients across multiple industry sectors.
• Risk Management Provides balanced risk management consulting to help companies achieve their objectives, including insurance consulting, broader risk consulting, and human resources risk management. Develops individual risk and insurance policies for economically sensible security. Targeted at corporate clients.
• Pension Benefits Helps companies find and retain qualified employees through solid and affordable occupational pension solutions, including pension benefits solutions and pension fund management. Assists with selection of the organizational form of occupational benefits. Targeted at corporate employers.
• Kessler Academy Educational and training program providing professional development in risk management, insurance, and occupational benefits for business decision-makers, limited to groups of up to 20 participants.

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MarshcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Marsh has been represented in Switzerland exclusively by Kessler since 1998. This partnership provides Kessler's Swiss clients with access to all Marsh resources and services worldwide. Kessler operates as the Swiss partner of Marsh, leveraging the global network for international coverage and market intelligence.
• MercerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMercer is mentioned as a network partner in privacy policies, suggesting collaboration on occupational pension and benefits solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bäbler & Partner AG: Bäbler & Partner is a smaller Swiss insurance broker operating in similar risk and insurance advisory lines, primarily in German-speaking Switzerland. It is a useful regional peer for benchmarking the size, customer profile, and service mix of mid-sized Swiss brokers.

Direct peers

• Lockton: Lockton is the world's largest independent insurance brokerage, known for relationship-based, specialty-focused client service. Its model is highly comparable to Kessler's, particularly the combination of industry specialization, in-house claims/legal support, and avoidance of rigid RFP processes.
• Hub International: Hub International is a North American-focused insurance brokerage that has expanded through M&A, growing via acquisition of regional and specialty brokers. Its roll-up growth model and emphasis on industry specialization make it a useful comparator for Kessler's potential M&A trajectory.
• GrECo International: GrECo is an Austrian-headquartered insurance broker with DACH-region presence and growing specialty capabilities. It competes in adjacent markets (Austria, CEE) for similar mid-market and corporate clients in the same insurance and risk advisory categories as Kessler.
• Howden Group Holdings: Howden is a fast-growing European-headquartered specialty insurance broker with strong DACH and aviation/specialty capabilities. It is a credible specialist-led competitor to Kessler's vertical, sector-team-led model and operates in adjacent Swiss/European segments.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is a major global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with a stated growth strategy in specialty and middle-market segments, very similar in positioning to Kessler. Both emphasize industry sector specialization and risk consulting alongside placement.

Broad incumbents

• Marsch McLennan / Marsh: Marsh is the global insurance brokerage leader and Kessler's exclusive Swiss partner since 1998. Marsh offers the same core commercial brokerage and risk advisory services worldwide; Kessler essentially operates as Marsh's Swiss franchise, making it directly comparable in capability though not in geographic scope.
• Aon: Aon is one of the two global insurance and reinsurance brokerage majors, with a Swiss presence. It competes with Kessler for large Swiss enterprise and multinational clients in the same lines (property, casualty, D&O, cyber, benefits) and is a natural alternative to the Marsh-affiliated Kessler offering.
• Willis Towers Watson (WTW): WTW is a global advisory, brokerage, and solutions firm with strong risk and benefits capabilities. It competes head-to-head with Kessler for Swiss enterprise risk and pension mandates, and its portfolio is a useful reference for Kessler's potential cross-sell between broking and benefits/pension advisory.

Others

• Mercer: Mercer is a Marsh McLennan-owned health, wealth, and career consulting firm, mentioned as a Kessler network partner. Mercer is most relevant as a partial peer in Kessler's occupational pension and international employee benefits offering rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/kessler-&-co-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kessler & Co