Holger is passionate about data and analytics and risk, and about helping his clients manage and execute large-scale, high-impact transformations. He serves companies in all sectors, with a focus on financial-services companies, including universal banks, investment banks, asset managers, regulators/supervisors and central banks, as well as retail, fashion, luxury, and telecommunications.
Holger, together with his teams, is at the forefront of helping organizations digitize their risk functions—transforming risk management for improved operational efficiency and effectiveness, while strengthening the quality and speed of decision making. In his work with data and risk management, he helps clients identify new revenue opportunities and navigate an ever-evolving regulatory landscape. Holger helps clients implement transformation rapidly, with groundbreaking levels of adoption and impact.
As a leader for the firm’s cross-sector global Data Transformation Practice, Holger helps institutions turn digital and analytics opportunities into business impact through enhancing access, granularity, quality and timeliness of data, offering a full stack across data management, governance, organization, culture, ethics, architecture, technology, and implementation.
As a frequent author and thought leader on our preeminent knowledge efforts, Holger and his global practice teams have worked on foundational research efforts in the data and risk/regulatory spaces, collaborating with industry associations like the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and large industry working groups. In addition, Holger convenes executive forums on risk operating models, digital risk, and data transformations—data summits across Asia, Europe, and the Americas for chief risk officers and risk chief operations officers. Holger regularly speaks at industry events, including the IIF fora, RiskMinds International, and the G-20Y. His research and perspectives are regularly cited and quoted in leading publications.
Before joining McKinsey, Holger was a theoretical physicist investigating the behavior of DNA aggregates in different conditions.
Videos
How we support digitization of the risk function
Published work
“Fashion’s digital transformation: Now or never,” McKinsey & Company, May 2020
“How chief data officers can navigate the COVID-19 response and beyond,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020
“Making a Step Change in Risk Efficiency and Effectiveness,” The European Financial Review, August/September, 2019
“The lending revolution: How digital credit is changing banks from the inside,” McKinsey on Risk, August 2018
“The future of risk management in the digital era,” McKinsey & Company, December 2017
“Living with BCBS 239,” McKinsey & Company, May 2017
“Digital risk: Transforming risk management for the 2020s,”
McKinsey & Company, February 2017
“BCBS 239: Full compliance elusive, but systematic risk reduced,” Global Association of Risk Professionals, February 2016
A marathon, not a sprint: Capturing value from BCBS 239 and beyond, McKinsey & Company, June, 2015
“It's not just about getting your ratios right,” (PDF–195KB) McKinsey & Company, January, 2013
“Risk IT and operations: Strengthening capabilities,” (PDF–3MB) Institute of International Finance and McKinsey & Company, June 2011
Past experience
Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Dusseldorf
postdoctoral research associate
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University
research associate
Education
University of Dusseldorf
PhD, theoretical physics
Michigan State University
MS, theoretical physics