International Partner Meeting: Roland Berger Strategy Consultants appoints new international Partners

• 26 new Partners appointed
• 5 Partners promoted to the next Partner level

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has appointed 26 new international Partners. The new Partners are based in the worldwide offices of the international consultancy company, from Paris to Beijing, Dubai to Tokyo. In addition, 5 international Partners have been promoted to the next Partner level. With these appointments at the International Partner Meeting in Munich, the strategy consultancy will further strengthen its worldwide presence.

Fabrice Asvazadourian (45) joined Roland Berger as a Partner in the Paris Office. He has more than 15 years of experience as a strategy consultant in the financial services industry, advising his clients on topics covering strategy, commercial effectiveness and operational efficiency. Fabrice Asvazadourian has managed major transformation and restructuring programs at several financial institutions, and his client portfolio covers major banks in France and Benelux. He was also Chairman and CEO of an industrial medium-sized company. Fabrice Asvazadourian holds an engineering degree from the École des Mines de Paris.

Cécile André-Leruste (45) comes from the Société Générale banking group, where she held the position of Deputy Head of Strategy, Head of Development Debt Capital Markets, Head of Banking and Insurance Advisory and Deputy CEO of Equipment Finance. After completing her studies at École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris (HEC Paris) and Wharton/Lauder, she started her professional career at a leading management consulting firm in Paris. Cécile André-Leruste has more than 10 years of operational experience and 7 years of consulting experience with a strong focus on banking and insurance. With this expertise, she will support the Financial Services Competence Center in the Paris office of Roland Berger.

Jacob Bruun-Jensen (44) rejoins Roland Berger as a Partner in the Consumer Goods & Retail Competence Center in London. He joined the company in 1997 and worked in the London and New York offices for 6 years. Jacob Bruun-Jensen has 10 years of experience in consulting, with expertise in consumer goods & retail and media & entertainment. He has also worked over 10 years in the industry for some of the world's largest retailers and consumer goods companies, including Kraft Foods and PepsiCo. Jacob Bruun-Jensen also successfully co-founded a soft drinks company in the UK. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and two Master's in Management degrees from Henley Business School and ESCP Europe Business School.

Maxim Bychkov (42) is a Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center in Roland Berger's Moscow office. For over 15 years, he has advised insurance, investment and leasing companies as well as banks in Russia and CIS. He has held several executive positions at investment and corporate banks and moved into strategy consulting in 2004. Maxim Bychkov's expertise covers strategy development and business planning, organizational solutions, restructuring and post-merger integration, sales, marketing and distribution.

Bruno Colmant (50), former Deputy CEO of Ageas, CEO of the Brussels Stock Exchange, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Finance in Belgium and Executive Board member at ING Belgium, has rejoined Roland Berger. As a member of the management team at the Brussels office, the well-known expert in corporate finance, financial markets, risk management, accountancy and tax law will be responsible for the Financial Services Competence Center. Bruno Colmant holds a Master of Science degree in Applied Economics from the Solvay Business School. He also has a Master's in Fiscal Law as well as an MBA and a Ph.D. in Applied Economic Sciences.

Eric Confais (42) is a Partner in the Energy & Chemicals Competence Center in Roland Berger's Paris office. He started his career at a consultancy specializing in corporate restructuring, then joined the energy practice of a management consultancy. Eric Confais joined Roland Berger in 2001 and has more than 12 years of experience in management consulting, focusing on projects in the energy, water and waste sectors. He is an expert in mergers and acquisitions, the results of market deregulation, developing new offerings, improving performance and cutting costs. He graduated from the École Centrale Engineering School in Paris.

Mark de Jonge (36) started working for Roland Berger in 2006 and is now Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center in Amsterdam. He has more than 10 years of experience in strategy consultancy and focuses his consulting activities on financial services, telecom and corporate performance. Mark de Jonge holds a Master's degree in Applied Physics from Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (USA).

Kiarash Fatehi (43) is a Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center in Frankfurt. He started his career at Daimler and has worked at a global consulting firm for almost 10 years before joining Roland Berger. He is a top management and strategy consultant with a solid focus on the financial services sector and strong international experience, having worked in the US, UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Asia and Africa. Kiarash Fatehi holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Economics and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.

Alexis Gardy (34) joined Roland Berger's Paris office in 2001. As a Partner, he will further focus his consulting activities on tourism, hospitality, leisure and entertainment. Alexis Gardy graduated from ESCP Europe in Paris in 2001 and began his career in investment banking at Société Générale Hambros in London. He has more than 10 years' experience in consulting and supports a number of global players in designing their corporate strategy and improving their performance and value.

Nikolay Grachev (36) is a Partner based in Roland Berger's Moscow office. He started his professional career at a leading international consultancy in Berlin, before moving to the Moscow office of Roland Berger in 2005. He focuses his consulting activities on the electric, oil and gas sectors, serving both leading international players and major local players in Russia and Ukraine. Nikolay Grachev is an expert in strategy, post-merger integration and governance optimization. He studied Business Administration in St. Petersburg (Russia) and Berlin (Germany) and completed his Master's of Political Theory at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Stephan Köhler (44) is a new Partner in the Operations Strategy Competence Center in the Munich office. After completing his degree in industrial engineering, he began his career in 1995 at a German consultancy where he became Managing Director and Partner of the firm's Munich office. During this time, he expanded the firm's business in telecoms and media as well as its industry expertise in supply management across all industries. As an expert on change management, he has supported comprehensive excellence and change initiatives at many large corporations.

Serge Lhoste (37) is a Partner based in Roland Berger's Paris office, where he focuses his consulting activities on industrial products and materials. Prior to joining Roland Berger, he was a Principal at a leading American management consulting firm. In his more than 10 years in the consulting industry, he has become an expert in strategy, due diligence and cost optimization. Serge Lhoste advises clients in the chemicals, process and high tech industries. He holds a Master's in Engineering from École Supérieure d'Électricité (Supélec) and an MBA from the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (ESSEC) in Paris.

Dr. Andreas Moritz (47) joined Roland Berger in Düsseldorf (Germany) as a member of the Operations Strategy Competence Center in 2011 after having spent several years at Management Engineers, where he became a Partner in 2008. He studied mechanical engineering in Aachen (Germany) and began his professional career at a German consulting company. He was also head of central logistics for Federal-Mogul. As a Partner, Andreas Moritz will continue to support the Operations Strategy Competence Center with his expertise in automotive and operations-related topics.

Ali Rekik (37) joined Roland Berger in 2000 after working for several investment banking institutions. Based in Roland Berger's Paris office, he advises clients for the Aerospace, Defense and Transportation Competence Center. In more than 11 years in consulting, he has become an expert in corporate management, supply chain, manufacturing, and transformation plans as well as collaborative model and joint improvement plans. He holds degrees from the École Polytechnique and École des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris.

George Ren (38) has been working with Roland Berger in Shanghai for 5 years. As a Partner in the Consumer Goods & Retail Competence Center, he leverages his expertise in brand management, channel management and growth strategy to help leading international and Chinese clients in consumer goods and retail industries. He had worked in consulting for more than 5 years prior to joining Roland Berger. George Ren holds an MBA from the Fudan University in Shanghai and from the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge (USA).

Oliver Räuscher (48) is a Partner in the Corporate Finance Competence Center in Berlin, focusing his consulting activities on joint ventures and M&A in several industries. Prior to joining Roland Berger in 2007, he was Director of Corporate Finance at one of the leading auditing companies, focusing on M&A and IPO advisory, carve outs and valuations. In addition, he worked in the legal department of the German Trust Agency in Leipzig (Germany), where he supervised privatization negotiations. Oliver Räuscher studied law at the University of Berlin.

Jochen Schönfelder (35) is a Partner in the Corporate Performance Competence Center of Roland Berger in Düsseldorf (Germany). He started his career at Roland Berger in 2002 after finishing his Master's of Economics at Maastricht University (the Netherlands). Jochen Schönfelder focuses his consulting activities on restructuring in the renewable energies, engineered products and automotive industries, supporting clients on international projects.

Kushal Shah (40) is a Partner based in Roland Berger's Dubai office, working for the InfoCom Competence Center. He started his career at a professional services organization in London and later joined the world's largest professional services firm in Kenya. He also worked at a leading global management consulting firm in London and Dubai for more than 10 years. Kushal Shah's main areas of expertise include strategy development, M&A and financing process support, post-merger integrations as well as restructuring and reorganization in the telecommunications sector. He holds a Master in Economics from Cambridge University (England).

Jürgen Thiele (41) joins Roland Berger as a Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center in Frankfurt (Germany). Before joining Roland Berger, he worked at a leading management consulting firm, where he was responsible for the property and casualty insurance platform in the DACH region. Jürgen Thiele has helped insurers increase their competitiveness in property and casualty insurance, auto insurance and claims management. His consulting focus includes strategic issues as well as designing and implementing large scale operational excellence programs. Jürgen Thiele holds a degree in Business Management from the University of Cologne (Germany).

Michel Vlasselaer (48) joined Roland Berger in November 2011 and is based in the Brussels office. He has more than 20 years' experience at several leading consulting companies. As of 2002, he had held several management positions at IBM Global Business Services. Michel Vlasselaer is a recognized expert in business transformation and change management with a passion for transformation projects like post-merger integrations. He holds a Master of Science in Management from Solvay Brussels School and completed the Program for Executive Development at the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland.

Rong Wang (39) is a Partner in Roland Berger's Beijing office. Before joining the company in 2008, he was Strategic Planning Director for Siemens in China. He has broad experience in the real estate, energy, fast moving consumer goods and engineered products industries and is an expert in the functional areas of corporate strategy, sales & marketing, organization & governance, M&A and operations management. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

Marcus Weber (42) is a Roland Berger Partner in the Engineered Products & High Tech Competence Center in Munich. After studying Business Administration and Industrial Engineering at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany), he started his professional career at Daimler before turning to consulting in 1997. Since then, he has gained more than 14 years' experience at leading consulting firms and has become a recognized expert in the renewable energy and engineered products & high tech industries. Marcus Weber's core competencies include programs for performance improvement, corporate and business strategies as well as organizational design and business transformation.

Marc Winterhoff (43) is a new Partner in Frankfurt (Germany) who will be contributing his expertise to the Automotive Competence Center. He studied electronic engineering and business in Darmstadt (Germany), and started his career in the software industry in America. He then worked for an international management consultancy for over 11 years, focusing on the automotive industry. In 2007, he became head of the company's European automotive business and in 2010 was appointed Global Head of Automotive. At Roland Berger, he supports the Automotive Competence Center, focusing on the North American market and advising on sales and marketing issues.

Dmitri Zaitsev (39) is a Partner in the Financial Services Competence Center in Moscow and the Country Co-Head for Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). He was the head of the management consulting practice at a global management consulting firm in Moscow. Dmitri Zaitsev has more than 17 years of experience in consulting the financial services industry. He is an expert in financial services and has experience in retail, utilities and telecom industries, and his consulting focus includes corporate strategy, organization, corporate governance, sales & marketing as well as operational excellence.

Luca Zuccoli (41) comes from a leading American management consultancy where he developed the retail banking business at the international level. Luca Zuccoli has more than 13 years' experience in consulting, with a special focus on retail and business banking, strategy, marketing, brand, distribution and risk management. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Master in Statistics from the Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and a Master in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Pavia (Italy). At Roland Berger, Luca Zuccoli will support the Financial Services Competence Center in Frankfurt.

Partners promoted to the next Partner level

Alfredo Arpaia (41) has been working with Roland Berger for 4 years in the Milan office. He is a Partner in the InfoCom and Consumer Goods & Retail Competence Centers. He holds a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Napoli (Italy) and MBAs from the University of Michigan (USA) and Rotterdam School of Management (the Netherlands). Alfredo Arpaia started his professional career at a leading consulting firm. He focuses his consulting activities on the telecommunications, media and services industries, providing expert guidance on customer relationship management and information technology strategy.

Alexander Belderok (42) has been working for Roland Berger since 2006. As a Partner in the Amsterdam office, he focuses his consulting activities on consumer goods and retail, operations strategy and specialty chemicals. Alexander Belderok studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Twente (the Netherlands) and completed his MBA at Twente School of Management (TSM). He started his professional career at Unilever as a marketing manager and then as a business technical manager. He has an additional 7 years of experience at a leading international consultancy.

Klaus Kremers (42) is a Partner in the Corporate Performance Competence Center in London and a member of the Global Investor Support Group. He has almost 14 years' experience in strategic, operational and financial restructuring in turnaround situations and transactions and advises international sponsors, financiers and European corporate clients across a range of industries. Prior to joining Roland Berger in 2000, he worked in Transaction and Corporate Recovery Services in Frankfurt for one of the leading international auditing firms. He holds a degree in international business administration and a master's in business administration.

Watson Liu (44) is a Roland Berger Partner in the Energy & Chemicals Competence Center in Beijing. He started working for Roland Berger in 2007 and has broad experience in international consulting. In the past, he worked for major industrial companies such as Procter & Gamble, DHL and Siemens. Watson Liu focuses his consulting activities on the energy & utilities and oil & chemicals industries, advising clients on strategy, operations, post-merger integration and supply chain topics. He holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a Master's in Supply Chain Management from the Cranfield School of Management (UK).

Satoshi Nagashima (43) is a Partner in the Automotive Competence Center in the Tokyo office. Satoshi Nagashima holds a Master's and a Ph.D. in Engineering in Material Science from Waseda University (Japan). Prior to joining Roland Berger 15 years ago, he worked as an assistant in the Kagami Memorial Laboratory for Materials Science and at the Department of Science and Engineering at Waseda University. He is an expert in the automotive, logistics, oil and chemical industries and focuses his consulting activities on sales and marketing, research and development, corporate planning and operation.