International Partner Meeting of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Elects Six New Partners, Appoints Expanded Global Executive Committee and Names a COO and CFO

MUNICH and FRANKFURT, Germany, July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Roland Berger continues to expand its global presence: six new Partners elected
• The strategy consultancy adjusts its global management in line with its international growth: expanded "Global Executive Committee" (GEC) appointed
• Burkhard Schwenker (Chief Executive Officer), Charles-Edouard Bouée (Chief Operating Officer) and Bernd Brunke (Chief Financial Officer) assume operational management
• Management team for Germany appointed, with Burkhard Schwenker as German CEO in addition to his international role and Deputies Stefan Schaible and Sascha Haghani

At their meeting in Frankfurt last week, the approx. 250 international Partners of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants expanded their global presence by electing six new Partners from Singapore, Russia and Europe.

The newly elected Partners

• Sebastien Amichi (40) - France
• Georgy Babilashvily (36) - Russia
• Rainer Bizenberger (38) - Germany
• Damien Dujacquier (39) - Singapore
• Marc Grüter (38) - Switzerland
• Grégoire Tondreau (39) - Belgium

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants also adjusted their global leadership to the increasingly global business of the only global consultancy with European origins. The Partners therefore appointed an expanded "Global Executive Committee" (GEC) made up of three Global Executives (CEO, COO and CFO) and eight Regional Heads. All members of the GEC are assuming their operational roles in addition to their business responsibilities.

The Global Executives are

• Burkhard Schwenker (55), CEO
• Charles-Edouard Bouée (44), Chief Operating Officer (COO)
• Bernd Brunke (42), Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

The eight Regional Heads on Roland Berger's Global Executive Committee are:

• António Bernardo (53), responsible for Latin America, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique
• Tijo J. G. Collot d'Escury (46), responsible for Scandinavia, the UK and the Netherlands
• Michel Jacob (49), Managing Partner France, responsible for France, Belgium, Spain and Italy, seconded by Didier Tshidimba (42), Managing Partner Belgium, under the leadership of Charles-Edouard Bouée
• Ralf Kalmbach (52), responsible for the US, Middle East and India
• Ken Mori (53), Managing Partner Japan, and Wu Qi (45), Executive Vice President for China, will be responsible for Japan, China, South Korea and Southeast Asia under the leadership of Charles-Edouard Bouée
• Burkhard Schwenker is taking over responsibility for Germany and Switzerland, seconded by Stefan Schaible (42) as his Deputy.

In addition to his role as CFO, Bernd Brunke is assuming responsibility for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the neighboring countries (CEE, CIS)

"We aim to support our company's strong international growth by expanding our global management and defining key management functions," explains Roland Berger CEO Burkhard Schwenker. "The expanded structure of our Global Executive Committee with a COO and a CFO reflects our company's high level of professionalism and global development."

In the course of the leadership adjustment, a new German management team was also appointed. It consists of

• Burkhard Schwenker (55) who was elected German CEO in addition to his international role
• Stefan Schaible (42), Deputy CEO
• Sascha Haghani (46), Deputy CEO

The International Partner Meeting did not further explore strategic alternatives; decisions may not be taken before autumn 2013.

The new Roland Berger Partners

Sebastien Amichi (40) joined Roland Berger in 2007 and is now an international Partner at the Automotive and Operations Strategy Competence Centers in Paris. He has 15 years of experience in strategy consulting and focuses on strategy, organization and performance improvement. His assignments include purchasing, engineering, product and technology strategy and due diligence projects. In addition, he has taught at prestigious business schools such as ESSEC and HEC in Paris. Before joining Roland Berger he worked as a restructuring consultant for several industrial groups and for a large global strategy consultancy. Sebastien Amichi holds a degree from the Sorbonne in Paris and an MBA from Warwick University (UK).

Georgy Babilashvily (36) is a Partner at Roland Berger's Moscow office. He specializes in energy, particularly nuclear, and energy equipment. Georgy Babilashvily advises leading Russian energy companies on corporate strategy, technology portfolio, optimization of core functions and cross-border alliances. Before joining Roland Berger in 2002, he used to work for a major oil and gas company in the Netherlands, a corporate investigation and risk consulting company in the US and a multinational consumer goods company. Georgy Babilashvily holds a degree from the Hanzehoogeschool van Groningen (Netherlands), the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD (France).

Rainer Bizenberger (38) started working for Roland Berger in the Restructuring Competence Center in 2002 and is now a Partner in the Corporate Finance Competence Center in Berlin. Prior to joining Roland Berger, he launched his professional career as a banker and freelance analyst at an international media corporation. Rainer Bizenberger advises private equity investors and CFOs in the banking, engineering and retail industries. He is an expert in financing, value and portfolio management, post-merger integration, carve-out and performance improvement. Rainer Bizenberger studied business administration at the Universities of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Germany) and Granada (Spain) and holds a Ph.D. in business administration from Rostock University (Germany).

Damien Dujacquier (39) is a new Partner based in the Singapore office. He started working for Roland Berger in 2000, first in Paris and then in Southeast Asia since 2011. In his consulting activities, he focuses on telecommunications, media, high-tech industries and infrastructures. Damien Dujacquier advises companies, private equity firms and governments on strategic planning, growth and market entry and performance improvement. Before joining Roland Berger, he was marketing manager at a French telecommunications group. Damien Dujacquier holds a master's of science from Telecom ParisTech.

Marc Grüter (38) is a Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center based in Zurich. As Head of Roland Berger's Finance & Risk Practice, he has significant experience with large-scale and complex finance and risk function transformation programs, transforming banking operations, refocusing leadership models at financial institutions and implementing regulatory change programs. Prior to joining Roland Berger, he led the risk and asset management advisory practice at a leading international audit company in Switzerland. He also worked for an international management consulting company and in the controlling & planning department of a large Swiss universal bank. Marc Grüter holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Basel (Switzerland) with a focus on bank management, capital markets and corporate finance.

Grégoire Tondreau (39) joined Roland Berger in 2003 and is now Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center in Brussels (Belgium). Prior to that, he worked at a global strategy consulting firm in Europe. At Roland Berger he is now co-head of the Financial Services Practice in Belgium and Luxembourg. His areas of expertise include strategy and organization, M&A and market entry. In addition, he focuses on retail banking, insurance distribution and group functions. Grégoire Tondreau attended the INSEAD program for financial services and holds a master's degree in business engineering from Solvay Brussels School.

The Global Executives of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants

Burkhard Schwenker (55) is the CEO of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He was appointed to the company's Executive Committee (EC) in 1998 for the first time. The Partners named him CEO in 2003 and reelected him to another term in 2006. In July 2010 he was appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board, but took over again as CEO in May 2013 when Martin Wittig stepped down for health reasons. Having studied business administration and mathematics, Burkhard Schwenker started his professional career in industry before completing his Ph.D. He joined Roland Berger in 1989, and was elected Partner in 1992. Burkhard Schwenker is an expert in strategy, organization and corporate transformation. He regularly lectures at and sits on the boards of several business schools and universities. Furthermore, he is active in various sociopolitical institutions, for example as Deputy Chairman of Atlantik-Brücke e.V. and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Roland Berger Foundation.

Charles-Edouard Bouée (44) has been elected global COO (Chief Operating Officer). He holds a Master's of Science from Ecole Centrale Paris, an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Law Degree from Paris University. He joined Roland Berger in 2001 and is Chairman of France, Belgium and North Africa and President of Roland Berger Asia. He also holds the position of President & Managing Partner of Greater China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei and Hong Kong). In this role, he spearheads major assignments for a wide range of companies and organizations, helping them successfully meet their strategic and operational challenges and goals in Europe and China. He received the Gold Magnolia from the City of Shanghai and wrote multiple books on China and on leadership. On the new EC, Charles-Edouard Bouée is in charge of the business in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Morocco and leads the Asia Leadership Team (Greater China Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia). In his capacity as COO, he will be responsible for global operations and sales & marketing.

Bernd Brunke (42) holds the position of CFO on the expanded Executive Committee, and will be in charge of Central and Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Austria, Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic and Hungary). Bernd Brunke was elected member of the firm's Executive Committee in 2010; he also manages Roland Berger's global restructuring business. Bernd Brunke studied engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. As a consultant he has been involved in projects in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, retail, engineering, automotive, chemicals, airlines and energy. He has supported clients in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Bernd Brunke is also head of the Berlin office.

The eight Regional Heads on the Global Executive Committee (GEC)

António Bernardo (53) will serve as the regional head for Latin America, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique. He holds master's degrees in engineering and business administration and is a visiting professor at Lisbon University, where he teaches corporate strategy. He started his career as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan, before joining Roland Berger in 1990. As a consultant, he specializes in corporate strategy and organization as well as M&A. Under his leadership, the firm's offices in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Brazil enjoyed above-average growth and became major players in their markets. António Bernardo also played a significant role in expanding Roland Berger's international management structures. From 2000 to 2003 he was a member of the Supervisory Board, before becoming a member of the EC in 2003 and being named Deputy CEO in 2004. He rejoined the Supervisory Board in 2011.

Tijo J. G. Collot d'Escury (46) will be in charge of Scandinavia, the UK and the Netherlands. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School and holds a degree in chemical engineering. He began his professional career with an American consultancy in the Netherlands in 1993. He joined Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in 2002 as Managing Partner of the Amsterdam office, which he built from scratch and made into a top-tier player in the Dutch market. Tijo Collot d'Escury has extensive experience in strategic corporate planning, M&A as well as technology and innovation management. Since 2003, he had been a member of the Supervisory Board of Roland Berger, and in 2010 he was elected to the Executive Committee.

Michel Jacob (49), currently Managing Partner of the Paris Office, will be responsible for France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. He is a graduate of the Ecole Centrale Paris. After four years with Saint-Gobain (R&D, Glass Division), he moved to management consulting and held the position of vice president at a major US consulting firm. He has been in management consulting for 22 years. Michel Jacob joined our company in 2001. He works with major industry clients and has wide-ranging experience in many sectors, especially in industrial products and materials (chemicals, paper, metallurgy, building materials) and in projects for improving operational performance (purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain and organizational efficiency).

Ralf Kalmbach (52) will be responsible for business in the US, Middle East and India. He holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of Karlsruhe. He started his professional career in product planning at Daimler Benz AG in 1986 before turning to consulting. For more than a decade, he has assisted major European, US and Asian corporations in various strategic and operational aspects to respond to globalization and customer-driven value shifts. He joined Roland Berger as a Partner and Head of the Global Automotive Competence Center in 2004. He has authored several books and a large number of articles on automotive issues and is a recognized industry expert regularly quoted by the media.

Ken Mori (53), currently Managing Partner of the Tokyo Office, will be responsible for business in Asia as part of the Asia Leadership Team (Greater China, Japan, South Korea & Southeast Asia). He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo and also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Roland Berger he worked for an American strategy consulting firm. He has extensive experience in areas such as strategy development, alliance support and corporate revitalization in the machinery, electronics, automotive and manufacturing industries, as well as for public institutions. Ken Mori has also been involved in numerous global consulting projects and contributed to the growth of Roland Berger's Asian operations.

Stefan Schaible (42) will be responsible for Germany and Switzerland. He joined Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in 1997 after studying chemistry and law. He took over leadership of the Civil Economics Competence Center in 2004 and has been heading the newly formed Civil Economics, Energy & Infrastructure Competence Center since 2012. He is a specialist in the public sector, large infrastructure projects and the energy and environmental industries. Stefan Schaible is a recognized expert on global trends that are highly relevant to all industries, such as changes in the role of governments and regulation, demographics, sustainable development, green technologies and renewable energies. Stefan Schaible had been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2010 and has now been elected to the EC. Together with Sascha Haghani, he will serve as Deputy to Burkhard Schwenker in his capacity as CEO on the newly formed management team for Germany.

Didier Tshidimba (42), is currently Managing Partner of the Brussels office and heads the Energy, Utilities and Transportation Competence Center in Belgium. He will be responsible for France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. Didier Tshidimba holds a master's degree in engineering from the Catholic University of Louvain. He started his career in the consumer goods industry in the fields of supply chain management, sales and distribution. In 1998, he decided to switch to a career in strategy consulting, where he advises key accounts on all aspects of managerial issues, from efficiency improvement to growth initiatives. He has headed numerous performance optimization programs, including cost reduction, synergy creation and revamping business processes. He has also helped his clients create and launch new products, develop new sales and distribution strategies and enter new markets.

Wu Qi (45) will be the Executive Vice President for Greater China and part of the Asia Leadership Team (Greater China, Japan, South Korea & Southeast Asia). Before joining Roland Berger in 1995 he worked for a well-known Chinese investment firm. A Partner since 2002, he is a member of the Chinese management team and executive vice president of Greater China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei and Hong Kong). He is also in charge of the transportation, logistics, tourism, engineered products and high-tech business for the region. Wu Qi is an expert in developing and implementing growth and reform strategies for China's large state-owned enterprises. He had been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2011, and has now been elected to the EC.

Roland Berger's management team for Germany

Burkhard Schwenker (55), CEO - see profile under Global Executives on the Global Executive Committee

Stefan Schaible (42), Deputy CEO - see profile under Regional Heads on the Global Executive Committee

Sascha Haghani (46) is assuming the function of COO on the German management team and will, together with Stefan Schaible, serve as Deputy to Burkhard Schwenker in his capacity as CEO. Sascha Haghani has 17 years of experience in top management consulting. He studied economics in Germany and business administration in Switzerland and holds a Ph.D. in economics. Sascha Haghani started his career in the automotive supplier industry. Before switching to consulting in 1992, he worked in the securities trading department of a major German bank in New York. He joined Roland Berger in 1995, was promoted to Partner of the Restructuring & Corporate Finance Competence Center in 2000 and is now Partner and Head of the Corporate Finance Practice Group. He has also authored several books on restructuring and corporate finance.

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, founded in 1967, is one of the world's leading strategy consultancies. With over 2,700 employees working in 51 offices in 36 countries worldwide, we have successful operations in all major international markets. The strategy consultancy is an independent partnership exclusively owned by about 250 Partners.

For further information, please contact: Susanne Horstmann, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, Tel. +49-89-9230-8349, E-mail: press@rolandberger.com

http://www.rolandberger.com