Who we are

merlin & friends is a collective of experienced strategists, communicators, and senior leaders. We support organizations in pivotal moments when it’s time to sharpen strategic communication, navigate crises with confidence, or shape profound change that truly resonates. We combine executive leadership experience with communication excellence and a clear ambition: to deliver impact with integrity, clarity, and commitment.

Merlin Koene:
Founder
and Principal Advisor

For two decades, Merlin Koene has advised organizations on strategic communication, crisis leadership and transformation with clear principles, hands-on experience and a focus on sustainable results. From his journalistic roots, strategic consultancy to senior leadership roles at international corporations and ultimately founding merlin & friends, his career has been defined by leadership practice and change and media expertise.
Core expertise:
  • Strategic communication
  • Crisis leadership

  • Transformation

Experience:

Senior leadership in global corporations; international journalistic background at Reuters, CNN, ORF, and Spiegel TV; C-level roles at Unilever, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, Action B.V., and international consultancies.

Belief: “Trust is a business metric.”

Selected partners from our network

We work with a handpicked network of trusted advisors, each a leader in their field. They bring deep expertise, strong personalities, and the commitment to make change work.

Vanessa Hoerner: Senior Strategy Consultant

Core expertise:

  • Communication strategies (internal/external, change, CSR/DEI, crisis)
  • Strategic brand positioning
  • Event & workshop design

Experience:

Many years of agency and freelance consulting for international corporations, scale-ups, and NGOs

Belief:

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Harald Melwisch: Senior Business Advisor

Core expertise:

  • Corporate leadership in times of change
  • Strategic repositioning

  • Leadership coaching

Experience:

Decades of senior roles in international companies, with deep understanding of markets, business models, and leadership dynamics

Belief:

XX

Marco Lumsden: Partner, Lumsden & Friends

Core expertise:

  • Brand positioning
  • Campaign development
  • Creative direction

  • Storytelling

Experience:

Decades of work for international brands and agencies, focusing on creative brand leadership and impactful content

Belief:

XX

Richard Weiretmayr: Partner, Lumsden & Friends

Core expertise:

  • Brand identity
  • Design

  • Visual storytelling

Experience:

Development of visual strategies for global brands, specialist in visual narrative for transformation and communication processes

Belief:

XX

How we work

Partnership.

Close alignment with our clients working at eye level with boards and executive leadership.

Flexibility.

Tailored teams from our experienced and reliable network, built to match the needs of each project.

Impact.

Clearly defined objectives, disciplined execution, measurable results.

Partners