Dept Acquires Hinderling Volkart

Hinderling Volkart, the leading Swiss digital agency, joins Dept, the globally expanding digital agency headquartered in Amsterdam with immediate effect. Hinderling Volkart's team of around 60 people is known for its award-winning work for clients such as SwissRe, PostFinance, Edelweiss, Swiss and Switzerland Tourism. 

Thanks to this merger, clients will be able to be served at all levels of the digital transformation and Hinderling Volkart will be able to focus even more strongly on its core values of innovation and creation.

Dept acquires 100% of the shares including the subsidiaries Hinderling Volkart Bern and HV Italic. In return, the owners Michael Hinderling, Michael Volkart and Severin Klaus take a stake in Dept and remain in the management. All three locations in Zurich, Basel and Berne will continue to operate under their current management. The teams are going to work closely with Dept’s Digital Marketing team based in Zurich.

“This step is a unique opportunity to take our agency and our clients to the next level," explains Michael Volkart. "With our quality awareness, our claim to excellent implementation and our unbroken quest for innovation, we are convinced that we can make a significant contribution to this fast-growing agency. The vision to grow into one of the most successful digital agencies in the world is our driving force for the coming years," emphasises Michael Hinderling.

Founded in Amsterdam in 2015, the rapidly growing agency Dept is represented in 13 countries today and employs over 1,500 people. It has a purely digital DNA and brings together creativity, technology and data in integrated teams for its clients. 

Dimi Albers, CEO Dept: “Hinderling Volkart’s key strength in terms of creativity and award-winning design is impressive. They are an absolute A-player in the Swiss market and together with the current data and media team in Switzerland well-positioned to create even smarter and conversion-driven digital experiences.”

Lukas Stuber, managing director, Dept digital marketing, Switzerland: “As founder of Yourposition, that rebranded to Dept over a year ago, I’ve experienced the benefits of being part of a larger agency and being able to create better projects with the help of design and creative specialists. Both teams feel like a perfect fit in terms of entrepreneurship, values and high standards and I can’t wait to start working together on a local level.”