Roland Berger Strategy Consultants names eight new Partners in Munich, Paris, Zurich and Dubai

MUNICH, 19-2-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Getting off to a strong start in the new year, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has brought eight new Partners onboard, five of whom are based at the company’s headquarters in Munich. The only leading global consultancy of German heritage and European origin is also growing on an international scale with new colleagues in Paris, Zurich and Dubai.

The new Partners:

Stéphane Blanchard joins Roland Berger as a Partner in the Consumer Goods & Retail Competence Center in Paris. He specializes in growth strategies, international development, M&A and performance optimization. Stéphane Blanchard has more than 17 years’ experience in management consulting, supporting brand manufacturers with growth and reorganization projects. He began his career as an investment banker before making the switch to strategy consulting. Stéphane Blanchard studied at ESCP Europe Business School in Paris and Harvard Business School (USA).

Sebastian Feldmann is a Partner in Roland Berger’s Operations Strategy Competence Center in Munich. His core competencies include strategic and operational consulting for companies in the automotive and engineering sectors in the context of growth and business model transformation mandates. He focuses on service/after-sales optimization, product and portfolio development, and operations and supply chain management. Looking back on more than 14 years of consulting experience, Sebastian Feldmann last worked for a leading accounting and advisory firm as head of Innovation, Product and Service Development. He studied international business at WHU Koblenz in Germany, Kobe University in Japan, and the J. L. Rotman School of Management in Toronto, Canada.

Christian Gieselmann rejoins Roland Berger as a Partner in the Consumer Goods & Retail Competence Center in Munich. He supports clients with growth and sales strategies, efficiency programs, restructuring, M&A, as well as post-merger integration and boasts some 20 years’ experience in the consumer goods and retail sector. Latterly he was member of the board for Lieken, the German market leader in the bread and bakery business, responsible for Supply Chain. Christian Gieselmann previously spent 10 years working for Roland Berger in Munich and Milan as an expert in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). He started his career as a managing partner in the family business “Chocolaterie Gieselmann”. He studied business administration at the University of Münster, Germany, and Paris Dauphine University, France.

Thomas Kästner is a Partner in the Civil Economics, Energy & Infrastructure Competence Center at Roland Berger in Munich. His core competences include advising businesses and the public sector on the strategic requirements of coping with the challenges of the “Energiewende” (energy transition). This covers investment portfolio and business plan review, strategic partnerships and cooperation, innovation, efficiency improvement and the provision of expert opinions. Thomas Kästner has more than 15 years of experience in the energy sector, including working for energy utility E.ON and latterly serving as Sector Leader Power & Utilities (Transactions) for a leading international accounting and advisory firm. Thomas Kästner studied law at the universities of Mainz, Dijon and Konstanz and was admitted to practice as a fully qualified lawyer in Munich.

Joe Lichtenberger is a Partner and the Global CFO for Roland Berger. He is responsible for finance, controlling and all legal and accountancy issues at the company. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer for one of Europe’s leading online corporations. Joe Lichtenberger has extensive experience in M&A and corporate finance, including in due diligence and shareholder relationship management. He holds an MBA with a major in finance from Wharton School of Business and studied business administration at Duke University, both in the US.

Justus Lorentz is a Partner in the Consumer Goods & Retail Competence Center in Munich. He’d previously been a Senior Advisor for Roland Berger since 2005. He focuses on non-food products and retail, working with clients across all links in the value chain on topics ranging from growth programs to efficiency improvement projects to operational restructuring. Justus Lorentz has extensive experience in M&A, post-merger integration and program management. He studied business administration at St. Gallen, Switzerland, and holds a doctorate from the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Peter Schneidewind rejoins Roland Berger after almost ten years in industry and is a Partner in the Engineered Products & High Tech (EPHT) Competence Center in Zurich. Boasting experience in management roles, including as Sales Director at Bosch, he is a seasoned expert in sales and marketing issues. He focuses on supporting industry and high-tech companies with operational improvements and performance optimization, and advises clients on growth strategies and post-merger integration. Having studied physics, majoring in renewable energies, at Hamburg and Cornell Universities, Peter Schneidewind began his career in industry before joining Roland Berger, where he spent about ten years working for the company in Munich.

Eduardo van-Zeller Neto joins the Roland Berger team in Bahrain as a Partner and head of the Energy & Utilities and Oil & Chemicals Competence Centers in the Middle East Region. He previously worked for an international consultancy advising global clients in the oil & gas, petrochemicals and utilities (power, water and renewables) industries. Eduardo van-Zeller Neto is a global expert in business unit strategy, corporate strategic planning, investment & portfolio strategy and large transformation projects. He holds an MBA from IESE Business School in Spain and MIT Sloan School of Management in the US. He also has a degree in economics from NOVA School of Business and Economics in Portugal.

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