Ingenics managing partner Andreas Hoberg on the firm’s growth, impact and culture
Over the past decades, German-origin consulting firm Ingenics has grown into an international organisational consulting firm delivering projects in more than 20 countries. We spoke with Managing Partner Andreas Hoberg about the firm’s growth, its impact around the world, and its valued collaboration with fellow Nextcontinent members.
It has now been more than 20 years since Andreas Hoberg joined Ingenics, and this July he will celebrate his 10-year anniversary as the firm’s managing partner. “Ever since I joined, so much has changed.”
A brief glance back helps set the scene: Ingenics Consulting was founded in 1979 in Germany as a local consulting firm. Since then, it has grown into a global player offering a full suite of organisational and operational services.
Key services include strategy, process and organisational consulting, technology enablement and implementation, digital transformation, and software solutions. Ingenics also operates an own Academy, which supports clients with the training needed to develop new capabilities and embed those within their organisations.
“When I joined Ingenics in 2005, the firm was still a relatively DACH-focused player with around 150 people. Today, we employ more than 575 people across 13 locations worldwide.”
“Our work centres on operations and supply chain excellence, covering everything from strategy development and conceptual design to the practical implementation of solutions,” says Hoberg. “What truly sets us apart is our ability not only to design concepts, but also to engineer and execute them end-to-end, ensuring that our clients achieve measurable, real-world results.”
The firm primarily works with medium-sized and large companies operating in manufacturing environments and asset-heavy industries. For example, Ingenics supported BMW with the delivery of a new car assembly plant, helped Audi deploy robotics in its factories, supported aviation group MTU Aero Engines with the expansion of production capacity at its Munich facility, and guided a major Lean transformation at Airbus.
“We also work in sectors such as agriculture, chemicals, consumer goods, and high-tech machinery,” said Hoberg. “Our focus is on improving performance, enhancing operating models, and enabling Industry 4.0 transformations through smart technologies.”
Alongside his managing partner role, Hoberg maintains a client-facing role. He has led several standout projects both in Germany and internationally, including a global transformation programme to redefine the industrial engineering setup for a major aerospace company, a comprehensive performance improvement programme for a leading automotive manufacturer, and several factory planning initiatives for international clients across multiple industries.
The Ingenics culture
Having joined the consulting firm as a consultant and rising through the ranks to become a partner in 2011 before eventually taking the helm, Hoberg has witnessed the company’s culture from every angle. “I’m confident to say that our strong employer focus and distinctive culture has been a key driver behind the growth and impact of Ingenics.”
“We treat each other as equals, we listen to one another’s ideas, and we create space for creative and courageous thinking that helps both our teams and our clients succeed,” he says. “That mindset shapes how we work together to develop the best possible solutions for our clients.”
According to Hoberg, this collaborative spirit has been embedded in the company’s DNA since its founding.
“Our values sit at the core of how we operate every day,” he explained. “We actively shape and nurture our culture, with a strong emphasis on open feedback and full transparency around our strategy and performance. For the board, this focus on people and culture is essential. It is the only way to ensure that everyone is aligned, engaged, and genuinely connected to where the firm is heading.”
Global expansion
Over the decade or so, the work of Ingenics has become increasingly international. “The expansion from a DACH-focused business into an international player with offices across Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Americas has been one of the most defining developments in the evolution of the company,” says Hoberg.
This expansion has been supported through the firm’s partnership with Nextcontinent, a global network of like-minded consulting firms that collaborate across borders. One of the network’s longest-standing members, Ingenics became a ‘citizen’ of Nextcontinent two decades ago. Today, the network comprises more than 3,000 professionals working in 30 countries.
“We partner with the Nextcontinent community to address the global business needs of our clients. Together, we provide an international delivery capability with teams around the world. At the same time, unlike traditional global consultancies, we bring a more differentiated approach by being highly people-centred and closely attuned to local client cultures,” notes Hoberg. “All members of Nextcontinent operate independently and retain their local entrepreneurship and culture.”
Nextcontinent has recently been strengthened with the addition of two new members – SolomonEdwards and Proudfoot – further expanding the network’s presence in North America. “The US is an important market for Ingenics,” says Hoberg [the firm has six offices in the country], “so this expansion represents a significant opportunity for us.”
Beyond commercials and delivery scale, being part of the Nextcontinent network also gives its members to a strong community that fosters capability building, people development, and shared thought leadership. Hoberg: “We also exchange best practices around internal operations, such as adopting AI in consulting and improving processes. These intangibles are increasingly important in a rapidly changing consulting industry.”
A prominent member of the Nextcontinent leadership team, Hoberg helps shape the network’s strategic direction and also leads the Mobility community within the organisation.
The ambition
Looking ahead, Hoberg said that despite the current slowdown in some markets and the ripple effects of artificial intelligence across the consulting industry, the firm remains optimistic about its position in the marketplace and its future prospects.
“Our ambition is to continue growing and further diversifying our business – both nationally and internationally,” he says. “We want to broaden our industry footprint, strengthen our presence across key global regions, and expand our capabilities so we can support clients even more comprehensively. But regardless of how the industry evolves, people will always remain at the heart of what we do.”
