Ken is a partner based in McKinsey’s Antwerp office. He brings clients a wealth of expertise in achieving operational improvements in manufacturing industries, especially in steel, metals, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, food, and chemicals.
With a deep interest in improving energy efficiency and yields, Ken leads the work of our Manufacturing Practice in resource-productive operations, helping clients optimize the profit per hour of their manufacturing facilities. He has trained energy experts and helped set up energy-efficiency programs at some of the largest chemical, steel, and pulp and paper companies in the world. He also helps clients with diagnostics and transformations to improve their energy consumption and yield and develop sustainable strategies.
Ken’s recent work has included new thinking on the circular economy and innovative manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing. In addition, he works with data specialists within McKinsey to develop advanced-analytics solutions for industrial processes.
Among his client projects, Ken has helped a European government set up its own model factory for energy efficiency, advised a pharmaceutical company on expanding its production capacity through yield optimization, and applied advanced analytics in chemical operations to decrease yield losses by up to 20 percent.
Ken has undergraduate and master’s degrees in chemistry and a doctorate in theoretical chemistry, all from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.