The first steps toward realizing a global rating agency of European origin – initiated by Roland Berger – are just around the corner

• Following intensive negotiations with European financial companies, sufficient commitment has been received to establish the new rating agency
• In order to wrap up the agreements with investors, a foundation and operating company will be set up as independent entities
• Markus Krall will be the founding CEO of the new rating agency. He is giving up his position as Senior Partner at Roland Berger to devote himself entirely to this project
• As project initiator, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants will continue to support the establishment of the rating agency, both conceptually and with material backing
• Burkhard Schwenker, Chairman of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, will initially help set up an Advisory Council for the rating agency, acting as its first member

The global rating agency of European origin, which was initiated by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, is on the verge of being established. Following intensive talks with financial companies across Europe, a significant number of investors have pledged their support. Markus Krall will be the founding CEO of the new Rating Agency and therefore give up his position as Senior Partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Roland Berger will continue to support the project and Chairman of the international consultancy, Burkhard Schwenker, will initially help set up an Advisory Council for the rating agency, acting as its first member.

"Following intensive talks conducted across Europe, a number of financial companies have now agreed to support the establishment of a global rating agency of European origin," explains Markus Krall, Partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. "We will soon wrap up the fundraising and complete operational realization of the new independent agency. We are currently in the process laying the institutional and corporate groundwork."

In order to continue managing this ambitious project, Markus Krall will give up his position as Senior Partner at the international consulting firm and become founding CEO of the new rating agency. "The challenging task of setting up a new international rating institution cannot be reconciled with the management demands placed on a Senior Partner at consultancy," says Burkhard Schwenker, Supervisory Board Chairman of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. This decision is in line with the wishes of many investors, who expect the project manager to assume a personal role in the agency's management.

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants will continue to support the project financially and conceptually. In doing so, Burkhard Schwenker will initially help set up an Advisory Council for the rating agency and act as its first member. "As a strategy consultancy, we have always seen our role more as that of an initiator and a source of inspiration, but not as the founding organization or operator of such an agency. Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has provided intellectual input to help solve a problem, but has never pursued any business interests in the matter," says Schwenker. Roland Berger has always declared that the agency should also be independent of its initiators, he added. This is also necessary to ensure the independence of the international strategy consultancy and avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

Claudia Russo
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Tel.: +49 89 9230-8190