AlixPartners expands its Germany team to include Auto and e-mobility expert Arnt-Philipp Hein and Retail & Consumer expert, Constanze Freienstein

NEW YORK (September 12, 2023) - In a strategic move to strengthen its growing business in Germany, global consulting firm AlixPartners welcomes Arnt-Philipp Hein to its Automotive practice as a Partner & Managing Director and Constanze Freienstein to the Retail & Consumer team as a Partner. They are based in Munich and Düsseldorf, respectively.

AlixPartners‘ business in Germany is growing by over 20% in the year of its 20th anniversary. The firm is strengthening its management team with experts from industries particularly affected by disruption. Because high inflation and consumer restraint continue to slow down large parts of the German economy, the retail and  automotive industries in particular are under pressure, as confirmed by the 2023 AlixPartners Disruption Index.

With the joining of e-mobility expert Arnt-Philipp, AlixPartners continues to steer toward a sustainable future and is expanding its broad expertise in the automotive sector in response to the EV revolution. He has many years of industry experience with a special focus on e-mobility and innovations, car-sharing, and charging infrastructure. His wealth of expertise includes operational management positions in start-ups for the expansion of charging infrastructure and work as an independent consultant, e.g. for the development of customer-oriented and sustainable mobility concepts in the Middle East and Germany.

Previously, Arnt-Phillip worked at McKinsey, as a Partner and Head of the “Future of Mobility” initiative, where he advised clients on e-mobility, alternative fuels and car-sharing and was also responsible for the global Digital Supply Chain service line. He gained a strong global perspective through his diverse, multidisciplinary work on six continents, including China, the Middle East, USA, Brazil, Africa, India, and several European countries. Arnt-Philipp studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and at Stanford University. He earned his doctorate on supply chain management at the TU Dortmund.

“Thanks to many years of experience in the automotive, mobility and logistics sectors, Arnt-Philipp will be a great asset to our clients who are looking for sustainable and pragmatic solutions,” said Andreas Rüter, Partner & Managing Director and Country Head of Germany at AlixPartners. “His future-relevant expertise, particularly with (electric) mobility, post-merger integration, supply chain management and advanced analytics, fits perfectly with the proactive and implementation-oriented approach for which AlixPartners is also known in the automotive industry. We are therefore very pleased to welcome Arnt-Philipp as part of our Auto-Practice.”

Constanze Freienstein brings a wealth of Retail & Consumer expertise having served as Lands' End CEO of Europe. She is also an experienced board member and leader with proven implementation skills and extensive expertise in value creation programs and omnichannel turnaround strategies for national and global lifestyle brands and both storefront and digital retail. Since 2019 at Lands‘ End, Constanze implemented an impressive international turnaround and growth strategy. Her deep knowledge in e-commerce and omnichannel retail as well as the digital transformation and internationalization led to continuous growth of the customer base and increase of the top and bottom line in Europe. Over the past 25 years, Constanze has worked a the Hudson's Bay Company, the McArthurGlen Group, Procter & Gamble and METRO AG. She also worked for the Kearney management consultancy for 10 years, most recently as principal in the USA.

“With her strong expertise in the areas of digital transformation, e-commerce and omnichannel retail, value-adding growth strategies, increased profitability and organizational development, technological innovations, product range efficiency and supply chain optimization in e-commerce and omnichannel retail and the lifestyle industry, as well as her strategic foresight, Constanze will be contribute significantly to the success and growth of our clients. We are extremely pleased to have gained an industry expert like Constanze as a partner for AlixPartners,” said Andreas Rüter, Partner & Managing Director and Country Head of Germany at AlixPartners.

In addition to her work as CEO, she has also been contributing her expertise as a supervisory board member at Refive, a retail technology company based in Berlin, since 2022. She is also a member of the advisory board of the renowned “Retail Technology Conference” in London, where she advises the management team on strategic issues, among other things, and recruits high-profile speakers for the event. Constanze regularly contributes to renowned industry events such as the trade congress in Berlin as a keynote speaker and in expert panels.

Constanze Freienstein graduated from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and completed an executive marketing degree at the IMD, Lausanne. She shared her wealth of knowledge in numerous lectures and publications, including at the University of St. Gallen and at the ESMT Business School in Berlin.

About AlixPartners

AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully address their most complex and critical challenges. Our clients include companies, corporate boards, law firms, investment banks, private equity firms, and others. Founded in 1981, AlixPartners is headquartered in New York and has offices in more than 20 cities around the world. For more information, visit www.alixpartners.com.