ANTENNA INTERNATIONAL
Pragmatic EMEA banking optimization for a mid-sized cultural technology leader
Antenna international
Antenna International is a global leader in innovative visitor experiences for the cultural and heritage sectors. The company creates audio tours, multimedia guides, mobile apps, podcasts, interactive exhibits, and immersive digital content for museums, historic sites, and tourist attractions worldwide. Key clients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Edinburgh Castle, Frida Kahlo Museum, Opéra de Paris, the Vatican, and the Rodin Museum.
With operations in 24 countries and pre-pandemic turnover of approximately USD 45 million (Europe representing ~60% of activity), Antenna is a specialized B2B creative technology firm focused on quality storytelling and digital innovation.
Countries of operations
Pre-pandemic turnover
Activity in Europe
Challenge
These specific issues indicate your company needs an immediate intervention:
Prior to the Covid-19 period, Antenna’s EMEA operations were highly fragmented. Each local branch used its own bank and disparate accounting systems, with much of receivables and payables outsourced. This led to poor visibility of the group cash position, high administrative burden, elevated banking fees, and limited supplier negotiation power.
The CFO launched a bank optimization project to improve cash management and accelerate EMEA cash reporting for a mid-sized international SME operating across many countries with heterogeneous structures.
Solution
The team followed a structured four-step approach:
Analyze banking transaction volumes in the EMEA region
Map all existing banking and financial partners
Assess banks’ EMEA branch coverage and alignment with Antenna’s footprint.
Build a comparison matrix of leading banks’ offerings
A full group-wide cash pool was evaluated but deemed too complex and resource-intensive. Instead, the team designed a pragmatic hybrid model: partial bank consolidation combined with selective operational centralization in the UK.
Results
The outcome
The shortlist narrowed to Deutsche Bank and UniCredit, the two banks offering the best geographic fit. Deutsche Bank was selected as the primary partner for the four largest EMEA markets (Germany, Spain, France, and Italy), while smaller branches retained local banks for day-to-day needs. High-value purchases (Audio Guides, IT equipment, and external advisory services) were centralized through the UK entity.
Leason learned
By thinking creatively and aligning banking operations with business realities, Antenna International achieved meaningful optimization. This pragmatic model demonstrates how mid-sized creative technology companies can reduce complexity, lower costs, and improve financial agility in the EMEA region — creating a stronger foundation for digital innovation and post-pandemic growth.
Deploy immediate
senior financial control
You cannot afford months of theoretical strategy.
Stabilize your operations and restore margin visibility right now.
Operational track record
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Jacques insights
Battle-tested strategies for stabilizing operations, restoring margins, and resolving cross-border friction.
