Rethink, Redesign, Lead – Anne Schlösser and Frank Gehrig on hy’s Future Path.

Anne Schlösser and Frank Gehrig have been on board as new partners at hy since the fall of this year. During this time, they have not only contributed their expertise in the areas of innovation and ventures as well as pricing and sales but also their experience from previous consultancies, their own start-ups, and large companies. Sophie and Ann-Sophie from our Marketing and Communications team have invited Frank and Anne for an interview to give you even deeper insights into their work and perspectives for hy. It’s not just about their content expertise, but also about introducing you to the people behind this strong addition to our hy team. What is it that motivates them, why are they choosing hy, and how do they go about challenges for supporting our customers.

 Sophie: Frank and Anne – great and thank you for joining us today and taking the time. We’ll jump straight in with the first question for you, Anne. You’ve been working in the field of innovation for over 20 years now, have built up your own companies, and most recently led the venture-building team at McKinsey as an Associate Partner. You have now officially been with hy for about two months. Please tell us why you decided to join hy and what you like about hy. 

Anne: For me, there are three key reasons. The first is the clear focus on innovation topics and venture building. This is very important to me personally, as it corresponds to my life perspective to continue working in this area and to drive innovation together with clients or customers. Especially for Germany and Europe, I believe it is crucial to take action in this area rather than remain in a state of shock and inertia.

The second point is that I have been an entrepreneur for all my life. Just as I used to run my own companies, I am now a partner in hy. The task of further developing and scaling the company entrepreneurially is something I find extremely exciting. 

The third point is the team that hy has put together for this area. Particularly in this area, I can say first-hand that many team members have start-up experience themselves and all of them have a great passion for innovation. I rely heavily on this dedicated team to help us make our customers more innovative, identify and validate new business models and ultimately implement growth strategies.

Ann-Sophie: Frank, it’s similar for you. You have been working in sales and pricing for over 15 years, initially at Simon-Kucher and most recently as a Partner in the Global Insurance Practice, where you were primarily responsible for sales. Why did you choose hy and what do you particularly like about hy?

Frank: As is often the case as a consultant: first create a document and make a list of criteria – that’s how I proceeded with this decision. I created a list of criteria to consider what was important to me in my next step. One crucial point was that I wanted to help build and develop something without being caught up in too many processes. Another criterion was to continue leveraging my expertise in sales and insurance, while also exploring opportunities in other industries. And the third was the people I work with – both at management and other levels. Overall, hy best fulfilled all three of these criteria, which is why I ultimately chose hy.

Ann-Sophie: To give people a better idea of what you do outside of your role as a consultant, what would you say is your biggest talent or passion that drives you outside of the office?

Frank: The artistic side of culture – including film, visual arts, music, and literature. That’s my world. I read an incredible amount and collect first editions of books that I like. I’m currently in the final stages of my own novel, with only about 30 pages to go. So I have also put this interest into practice. When I go to a new city, I’m the type of person who first asks what exciting museums there are or what’s playing at the theater. 

Another big topic is sports. I play tennis – it’s a passion that has been with me since I was a child and I still do it today. Apart from that, I love traveling, especially on longer trips. The USA is a favorite destination of mine, most recently I was in Argentina.

Sophie: I have to interject briefly. You mentioned a novel you’re writing. Can you tell us what it’s about?

Frank: Of course, it’s bad luck to talk too much about it before the novel is finished. A novel is essentially always about people being at a certain starting point at the beginning, then lots of things happen and the characters end up in a different position from where they started. In 15 years of consulting experience, I have been able to get to know many people and observe their behavior closely – a basis for interesting fictionalizations. Of course, I hope that I can turn this into a captivating plot. But that’s all I want to reveal.

Sophie: Anne, do you have a similar passion that we don’t know about yet? Is there something that particularly drives, strengthens, and motivates you outside of the office?

Anne: I originally trained in a creative profession – I’m a product designer. Creativity, both my own and that of others, still fascinates me very much. That’s why I like going to exhibitions and looking at art, sculptures, or other artistic works. It accompanies me throughout my life. I also enjoy being creative myself, especially in the kitchen. Cooking is a great passion of mine, I like to experiment and try out lots of different cuisines. I used to cook a lot of Chinese food, then Italian, French – practically everything.

I also love traveling, like Frank, but it’s a bit different for us. We are a family of five and don’t fly too often, partly because of the cost and partly because we believe that our children should get to know Europe first. We often travel by car because the journey there is also an experience. We have already visited many European cities and gained many new impressions there. We always take some of the local cuisine with us, which we then cook at home.

I  likewise enjoy reading very much and find it difficult to keep my private and professional lives strictly separate. For me, these areas are closely intertwined. When I read in my private life, I am often interested in topics that are also relevant to my professional life.

Sophie: Now we’ve gotten to know you a little better. Let’s move on to what you do here at hy every day. Anne, perhaps you could give us some insight: What topics are currently occupying our clients in the area of innovation and ventures? What is on their minds, what are they most interested in?

Anne: There are various topics that all have to deal with growth, of course. In the conversations I’ve had in recent months, one meta-topic has become particularly clear: Many companies are looking at how they can use their data to become more resilient, recognize trends and risks early on, and better prepare for the future. Another topic is how to create a sustainable and data-driven culture of innovation. Unfortunately, innovation is often scaled back in times of crisis, which is both a risk for the individual company and a risk for society – especially in Europe, we need to ensure that we position ourselves as an innovation hub to remain competitive.

Another issue that often comes up is the question of how to successfully commercialize a new business model. It is interesting to note that companies that are successful with a product line or a basic offering have difficulties positioning internally developed ideas on the market. It is often difficult to take new concepts beyond incremental enhancements to commercialization, especially if they lie outside a company’s traditional area of expertise.

Ann-Sophie: Anne, how do you see hy responding to precisely these challenges? You’ve had a lot of conversations with customers in recent weeks – where do you see hy having solutions ready to support customers? 

Anne: hy has addressed many of these issues in recent years and developed its own tools to better identify and validate business ideas. We are very well positioned here and have continued to develop. Another topic is innovation management. Many of our consultants have experience in corporate innovation management and know how to set up a functioning system.

Ann-Sophie: And Frank, now let’s jump to our other department. You work in Pricing and Sales. What issues do you see that customers are most concerned about? And to what extent do you see that our team is already prepared for these challenges?

Frank: We are well positioned in pricing and my focus is on commercial excellence, which includes strategic topics such as sales strategy, specific channel strategies, go-to-market strategies as well as more operational aspects such as the data-driven improvement of the sales journey and sales operations.

One topic that is currently even more relevant than usual in my discussions with clients from all industries is achieving the growth targets that have been set. In the current macroeconomic situation, this is becoming increasingly difficult on the one hand and more expensive on the other. In addition, millions and millions have been invested in CRM systems and digitalization that are far from being recouped. This shows once again that tools and data only do not generate sales – sales ideas are needed. We have a list of around 100 levers that have proven effective across various industries, which can be individually selected and configured for clients, and implemented with minimal, in some cases no, IT effort. If you understand where in the journey customers are getting stuck, and where the funnel is leaking, you can use the levers to ensure customers continue their journey and that the leaks are fixed. This is how we have generated 5 to 20 percent more turnover in new business for and with our clients.

Sophie: Frank, you’ve been working in consulting for over 15 years. In your opinion, what has changed in the consulting world during this time?

Frank: I do notice changes, but some things have remained the same, for example, the reasons why companies call in consultants: It remains a question of resources, skills and competencies. Clients’ expectations have also changed a little – they continue to expect excellent service and results. 

But there are also important changes. One big issue is the way we work together. Before Covid, I was often on the road four to five days a week, which has been greatly reduced by the pandemic. Today, we work much more remotely, which of course has advantages – more efficient, faster and time-saving. The informal chat at the coffee machine no longer exists. 

The second issue concerns orders. They used to be broader in scope, but today they are often more pointed and focused. Companies are looking for partners who not only provide broad advice but also offer fast, efficient solutions for specific problems. This also includes implementation expertise – it is no longer enough to simply deliver a concept. Consultants must be able to implement these concepts together with the client, including at a technical and IT level. This has changed in recent years and is now more important than ever.

Ann-Sophie: Anne, you have a lot of start-up experience. To what extent do you see this as a unique selling point at hy that makes our innovation consultancy special?

Anne: Our start-up experience is a strength because it gives us the necessary implementation expertise. In contrast to many traditional consulting approaches, which often remain theoretical, we are all about actually helping hands-on. Founders have a different entrepreneurial spirit than corporate profiles and can tackle challenges in the start-up phase faster and better. They are prepared to take risks and get their hands dirty. This hands-on experience sets us apart in the field of innovation and ventures and differentiates us from large consulting firms, where generalists often acquire expertise as a secondary skill.

Sophie: Frank, the pricing and sales area is growing strongly for us. What changes do you see at hy in the next five to ten years? And what would you like to drive forward with us?

Frank: We expect continued strong growth, and we are well positioned thematically for this. We are expanding our consulting portfolio and will continue to grow in specific sectors. One topic is internationalization – we are strong in the DACH region, but we should also prioritize foreign markets more strongly. It’s about making smart decisions about where we invest. Of course, we have to keep our finger on the pulse and recognize which topics are becoming important, such as AI, which was not a focus a few years ago. It is crucial that we proactively tackle the right topics to drive further growth.

Sophie: Anne, what big topics do you see in the coming years and what do you want to drive forward?

Anne: Many topics overlap with what Frank said. In the area of consulting, it’s about developing our own tools so that we can provide asset-based consulting. I’m very interested in the question of how we can become even better, faster and more productive internally and then pass this expertise on to our clients. Digitalization and the use of AI are also essential in consulting, so I am convinced that a lot will happen here in the next few years that will change our day-to-day work.

Frank: Being in front of the wave is of course important. However, it shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to get started at all. When it comes to cross-selling, you could say we need perfect data first. Yes, having good data makes it easier and more successful, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make progress without perfect data. You have to ask yourself what you can do even without the ideal starting position. You don’t have to wait until everything is defined – there are already things that can be initiated today to achieve improvements. Of course, we need to lay the foundations in the medium and long term, but we should also consider what we can do now in the short term to take a big step forward.

Anne: That’s a very important point, Frank. Many companies are blocked by the question of the perfect starting position – there usually isn’t one. The perfect starting position is to get moving and to constantly redefine your position. We’ve learned a lot about agility, lean start-ups and design thinking over the last ten years. Even if agility cannot always be applied, especially in hardware development, it remains a valuable method for continuous improvement. It’s not about starting from the ideal position, but simply getting started. Learning by doing is the key. The potential is huge, but many companies block themselves because they don’t think it’s the right time or they don’t have the right people, data, or skills. Starting bottom-up and building that up is the way to go in my opinion.

Frank: I agree 100 percent, but at the same time I see the phenomenon of getting stuck in the use case spiral. You start, develop use cases and improve. That’s great, but at some point, a company has to go to a higher level and use the findings from the use cases as a basis for general and overarching improvements to fundamentally raise the company to a new level of competence and skills. Use cases provide a foundation, but building the house on that foundation requires a different approach.