Thorsten is fully dedicated to our machinery and industrial automation sector. His industrial focus is on machinery and plant engineering, his functional focus on operations esp.modularity, product-cost optimization, and product strategy. He is a member of our advanced industries sector and since 2013 leads McKinsey's cooperation with the German Machinery Industry Association (VDMA) and coleads the machinery initiatives in Europe, where he also leads our modularity and product complexity efforts.
Besides serving his clients in Europe, he spends a significant share of his time in the United States, China, and Brazil.
Examples of Thorsten’s recent work include the following:
- product and production optimization project at a machinery and equipment manufacturer in Germany, China, and Brazil to improve direct cost position by 20–40 percent of all relevant machine parts and to regain market share outside of Europe
- product management strategy program for a high-power manufacturer of diesel engines, gas engines, and other heavy equipment
- modularization and standardization project at a machinery and equipment manufacturer in Germany to reduce variants by over 80 percent and improve direct cost position by 20–40 percent of all relevant machine parts
- pre-diligences and due diligences in the area of rotating equipment manufacturing for both industrial organizations and private equity companies
- large-scale global R&D efficiency transformation program, focusing on structuring the overall project and supporting all three workstreams, achieving a ten percent efficiency improvement in running fiscal year
- task force at an European industrial company, focusing on a market-entry project for high-investment machinery equipment
- supporting several projects in the machinery industry—including market entry, corporate strategy, and product development—in Europe, China, and Brazil
Prior to joining McKinsey, Thorsten worked for several major machinery companies. He holds a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Technical University of Munich.
Published work
“Digitization: How machinery companies can meet customers’ expectations,” McKinsey & Company, September 2020
“Margin pressure builds in the German machinery industry,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020
“Making smart platforms stick,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020
“Beyond COVID-19: Rapid steps that can help machinery and industrial automation companies recover,” McKinsey & Company, May 2020
“How smart platforms can crack the complexity challenge in project industries,” McKinsey & Company, October 2019
“Don’t just follow the money, lead it with a standard cost model,” McKinsey & Company, February 2018
“Testing and validation: From hardware focus to full virtualization,” McKinsey & Company, November 2017
Past experience
MAN Truck & Bus
MAN Diesel & Turbo (now MAN Energy Solutions)
Ferrostaal
Education
Technical University of Munich
MSc, mechanical engineering