Describe the career path to your present job

Following my tenure at Kearney, I spent ten years at German construction and engineering firm, Hochtief, in a variety of roles and markets, among them SVP for Corporate Development, CEO of Central/Eastern Europe and Chairman of Turner International in the USA. I then moved to Switzerland as CEO of technology firm, Oerlikon, for a couple of years before joining private equity firm, Texas Pacific Group. In parallel, I was in a diplomatic function for the Swiss Federation as President of the export platform Cleantech Switzerland. I have been the CEO of Atkins, the leading project management, design and engineering firm, since August 2011.

Describe your current role and an example of the type of work you are doing—including any significant accomplishments or career highlights

Over the last five years, WS Atkins plc has undergone a significant transformation which has resulted in a much larger international engineering and project management portfolio, now covering all relevant world markets. We have doubled the profitability of the company and tripled its market capitalization. As a result, Atkins has moved into the FTSE top 200 ranking. In addition, Atkins is now known for its delivery skills in highly complex and iconic infrastructure, real estate and energy-related structures and assets. Attracting and retaining highly talented engineers and scientists that form the basis of Atkins’ success is a day-to-day challenge that requires us to recruit from the best universities worldwide and embark on a devolved and highly distributed scheme of delivering work and interacting with our customers.

What are some of the key learnings from your time at Kearney that you apply to your work now?

There was clearly lots of technical consulting knowledge that I learned in my early days with Kearney and that helped to shape my views on how a company should be run successfully. It has much to do with the right balance between facts and figures and equally recognizing the human aspect, specifically when it comes to the difficult task of change management. Most importantly, however, I learned the value of integrity in giving impartial advice in complex client situations and settings.

What led you to join Kearney?

It came down to the people I met and that impressed me. I was sure that I wanted to join a consultancy firm when I left university and had the choice between three companies. The personalities I met in the interview process like Peter Wagner, Werner Borrmann, Stephan Mayer and Peter Pfeiffer impressed me, because what I experienced was not the stereotypical consultancy language, but deeply rooted industry experience and an authentic desire to make a difference for the client’s business.

What kind of work did you do primarily while at Kearney?

I had the benefit to work for large international clients which resulted in assignments in Germany, the USA and Japan. It was mostly a combination of business process reengineering and strategic sourcing initiatives. I specifically appreciated the fact that I was given the opportunity to interact with Kearney offices across the globe and to get to know the enormous talent and cooperative spirit embedded in the organization.

Describe one of your most memorable moments while with the Firm.

Coming back to the topic of integrity, I was most impressed when two senior partners stood up and defended me when I had to present in a highly charged Board presentation in front of a major client. It was clear that the client did not want to hear what I had to say, but it was exactly the advice we were convinced we had to give, as uncomfortable as it was. It taught me an important lesson on what it means to have a truly aligned team and how that is the basis for long-term success.

What are your interests outside of work?

I have a keen interest in the arts and in particular enjoy classical music and the opera. I enjoy good food and wine from around the globe.

What’s the most challenging or exciting thing you’ve done outside of work in the past couple of years?

I am a passionate climber so there were one or two occasions that were quite ambitious—nothing to boast about, but rather exciting for me.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom you’d like to share?

I always liked a specific quote from Churchill: “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.”

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