Dieter Hofmann

Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board
Consulting focal points:
Retail, family businesses in retail, corporate succession

The focus of the consulting work of Dieter Hofmann is on the retail sector. His commercial training and degree in business studies were followed by positions at the Handelszentrale Deutscher Kaufhäuser (German Retailers’ Association) and Rewe-Leibbrand. Dieter Hofmann was one of the first people in Germany to specialise in executive search for the retail sector, starting in 1978. In 1985, he founded Hofmann, Herbold und Partner, which was then considered one of the leading personnel consultancies for the consumer goods industry in the German-speaking world. He subsequently integrated this into one of the world’s leading personnel consultancies. Since 2001, Dieter Hofmann has mainly been responsible for filling top positions in retail at Hofmann Consultants, and has assisted numerous family businesses in the areas of supervisory/advisory boards and entrepreneurial succession.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-111

Frank W. Heun

Managing Partner
Consulting focal points:
Consumer goods, digital advisory, supervisory boards & corporate succession

The focus of the consulting of Frank Heun is on consumer goods/branded goods, in particular FMCG, SMCG and luxury goods. After completing his degree in mathematics and business administration, Frank Heun worked at a leading company in the consumer goods industry (Food & Drinks, Home & Personal Care) before becoming a partner at strategic consultancies with responsibility for the consumer goods & retail market sectors. Frank Heun also has many years of experience as the member of an advisory board at family businesses. He has stand-out expertise in the search for executives with digital competence and in the field of appointments to advisory boards and supervisory boards.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-170

Robert Harich

Managing Director
Consulting focal points:
Consumer goods, industrial enterprises, digital advisory, supervisory boards & corporate succession

The focus of the consulting of Robert Harich is on consumer goods (FMCG, SMCG, in particular durables and non-food), retail (multichannel / pure player) and professional services (TME, PE). Prior to joining Hofmann Consultants, he was Managing Director of a renowned Executive Search boutique. Before that, Robert Harich was with a major Media Holding where he was responsible for several group companies in his role as Managing Director. He began his career in Germany and in the US in the 80ies working for a listed brand agency and for an S&P 500 listed consumer goods producer (laundry and home care detergents). Following his return from the US, he joined a strategy consulting firm and from there, he changed to a consumer goods company of the Quandt group. Robert Harich has stand-out expertise in the search for executives and board positions with digital competence and in the field of advisory and supervisory boards.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-130

Wolfgang Gebauer

Partner
Consulting focal points:
Consumer goods, mail order, branded goods

Wolfgang Gebauer is a partner at Hofmann Consultants GmbH. The focus of his consulting is on the areas of consumer goods, mail order and branded goods. After completing his education and his degree in mathematics, Wolfgang Gebauer initially worked as a consultant on company pension schemes at Dr. Heubeck AG, an expert office for insurance and business mathematics. In 1989 he switched to the corporate world, and was subsequently responsible for domestic and international human resources management at Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH and then at the Vorwerk Group.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-150

Tran Huynh

Manager
Consulting focal points:
Retail, consumer goods, professional services

Tran Huynh is a consultant at Hofmann Consultants GmbH. The focus of her consulting is on retail (multichannel, pure player), consumer goods (FMCG, SMCG) and professional services (strategy/management consulting). After studying for a degree in linguistics and sociology at the University of Bielefeld and training as a foreign trade clerk and foreign language correspondent, Tran initially worked in the field of international sales for a global industrial group for several years. Tran then completed a graduate diploma in International Business at the University of South Australia. She then moved across to a global executive search firm, where she successfully advised both international corporations and medium-sized companies on filling specialist and management positions. Tran has particular expertise in the areas of marketing/CRM/customer experience, corporate communication, human resources and in the appointment of managers with digital competence.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-173

Elena Kleine

Consultant
Consulting focal points:
Consumer goods, retail, professional services

Elena Kleine is a consultant at Hofmann Consultants GmbH. The focus of her consulting is on consumer goods (FMCG, SMCG), retail (multichannel, pure player) and professional services. Following her vocational training as a management assistant for office communication with a service company, she completed a university course in Business Administration. After her graduation, she worked for nine years for one of the leading international cosmetics corporations in the fields of Sales, Marketing & Education. As a result of her experience in the consumer goods sector, she has particular expertise in filling Marketing, CRM, Sales and Business Development positions and in the appointment of executives with digital competence.


Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-132

Lara Reuter

Principal
Consulting focal points:
Retail (multichannel, pure player), consumer goods, professional services

Lara Reuter is a Principal at Hofmann Consultants. The focus of her consulting is on the areas of consumer goods companies (FMCG, SMCG, in particular durables and non-food), retail (multichannel / pure player) and professional services (TME, PE). After completion of a commercial training, Lara Reuter started her career with an online platform company in the field of brand management while still studying for a degree in business psychology. She subsequently worked for a leading specialist publisher focusing on electronic publishing. Lara Reuter then completed a Master´s degree in Marketing & Leadership and in her next career step at a renowned Executive Search boutique, she was responsible for mandates in the consumer goods market, retail and manufacturing industries. Based on her experience in the areas of communication and media combined with her Executive Search background, she has special expertise in filling senior positions with a digital focus in Business Development, Marketing, Sales and Central Services.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-131

Martin C. Rusterholz

Associate Partner Switzerland
Consulting focal points:
Retail (multichannel, pure player), durable goods, digital advisory, leadership review

Martin C. Rusterholz is an Associate Partner at Hofmann Consultants in Switzerland. The focus of his consulting is on retail where his long-standing experience in top management positions with leading international multi-channel retail companies is a valuable asset, both as regards sales functions and topics relating to the holistic transformation of retail companies towards digital business models (“end-to-end solutions”). At the same time, he is responsible for conducting Management Audits and Assessments as part of Executive Search mandates via his own specialized company Convidis AG (with offices in Zurich and Munich, https://www.convidis.ch). Martin Rusterholz is also a member of the advisory board of a Fintech start-up and acts as a mentor for the University of Zurich. Based on his expertise, he is responsible for both the search for excellent executives within the retail and consumer goods sector and for filling advisory board positions (in particular regarding the establishment of digital advisory boards). As a result of his international education (degree in economics and post-graduate degree of an Executive MBA from Zurich and Stanford), and his distinct European track record in retail business, he is also in a position to successfully advise clients in all cross-border matters.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-151

Jasmin Susur

Consultant
Consulting focal points:
Retail, consumer goods

Jasmin Susur is a consultant at Hofmann Consultants GmbH. Her consulting focus is on retail (multichannel, pure player) and consumer goods (FMCG, SMCG). During her studies of Business Administration, Jasmin Susur gained her first professional experience with an executive search boutique focusing on Communication, Public Affairs, Investor Relations and Marketing and was significantly involved in the recruitment of specialists and executives. She has particular expertise in filling positions in the areas of Sales, Purchasing/Category Management, as well as in filling executive positions with digital expertise.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-141

Paavo Zeebe

Associate Partner
Consulting focal points:
Retail (multichannel, pure player), fashion, sports & lifestyle as well as branded consumer goods companies (FMCG, SMCG).

Paavo Zeebe is an Associate Partner at Hofmann Consultants GmbH. The focus of his consulting is on the areas of retail (multichannel, pure player), fashion, sports & lifestyle as well as branded consumer goods companies (FMCG, SMCG). After studying for a degree in business administration, Paavo Zeebe started working as a market analyst at an American market research company in Frankfurt am Main. He started his career in personnel consulting at Egon Zehnder International in 2005. There, in the role of associate, he advised both international groups and medium-sized companies in the market sectors of financial services and consumer goods. In his next career move as a consultant at the Heads! Executive Consultancy, he focused exclusively on the consumer goods market and successfully advised clients on filling specialist and management positions for more than 10 years. He has particular expertise in filling positions in the areas of sales, marketing/CRM/customer experience, purchasing/category management and in positions within central services (finance & controlling, HR and IT).

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-120

Dr. Christoph Achenbach

Partner
Consulting focal points:
Corporate governance, corporate succession

After a long career in management positions at leading retail organisations, Dr. Christoph Achenbach primarily advises family businesses. His wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge of every aspect of corporate governance, supervisory board, advisory board and foundation board appointments as well as questions of entrepreneurial succession lend him a superior perspective. Dr. Christoph Achenbach is a member of advisory and supervisory boards at well-known German companies and has been co-editor of the leading professional journal “Der Aufsichtsrat” for many years.

Tel. +49 69 36 50 50-160