Sigurd is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Brussels office. He is co-leader of our Basic Materials Practice.
Since joining McKinsey in 1988, Sigurd has supported basic-materials clients in 50 countries on issues such as long-term business planning, corporate finance, investment strategy, technology development, benchmarking, international partnering, global plant reconfiguration, and restructuring. He spent several years based in São Paulo and Johannesburg before returning to his native Belgium.
Among his recent projects, Sigurd has helped a global diversified mining company with its exploration strategy and advised a major resource group on the redesign of its corporate center, including the benchmarking and reorganization of administrative and technical-support functions. More broadly, he has undertaken a number of privatization, valuation, and M&A projects in South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, and advises mining-equipment and service providers on growth strategy and other topics.
Sigurd has worked extensively on long-term price development for key commodities and recently contributed to an in-depth McKinsey survey of trends in global commodity markets.
Earlier in his career, Sigurd worked as a researcher in thermodynamics and corrosion science for the National Science Foundation.
Published work
“The future of the European steel industry,” McKinsey & Company, March 2021
“Alternative financing in mining,” McKinsey & Company, February 2021
“Lessons from the past: Informing the mining industry’s trajectory to the next normal,” McKinsey & Company, July 2020
“Through-cycle investment in mining,” McKinsey & Company, July 2020
“Resource revolutions: Tracking global commodity markets,” McKinsey & Company, September 2013
Past experience
National Science Foundation
Research assistant
1984–88
Education
Ghent University
PhD, metallurgical engineering; BSc, engineering