Focus 2025: IT Fitness in Manufacturing Companies

Find out how you can secure your IT business roadmap 2025 in the white paper:

Atreus’ innovative approach elevates interim management from a temporary fix to a strategic tool, crucial for navigating transitions like turnarounds, restructuring, and post-merger integrations. “Our primary strength lies in making things happen and implementing solutions, with a focus on execution,” says CEO Dr. Harald Linné.

Globally, Atreus addresses challenges in Europe, the USA, and Asia, ensuring operational and compliance excellence. The firm drives growth initiatives and product launches, helping corporations scale rapidly by leveraging entrepreneurial talent with industry expertise.

Atreus offers comprehensive services, including performance management, ESG compliance, and digitalization. Their expertise in IT and ERP system implementation positions them as leaders in organizational transformation. Close relationships with CEOs and business owners enable Atreus to deploy seasoned professionals, known as “storm-proof achievers,” who excel in demanding scenarios.

Committed to sustainable change, Atreus strengthens clients’ in-house capabilities and assembles boards for private equity firms, ensuring top-tier leadership through rigorous candidate evaluations. Recognized with accolades like the Hidden Champion Award, Atreus’s strategies drive transformative change and client success.

Source:

This summary is based on the original article “New Age Leadership Solutions for Driving Transformation” by Rainer Nagel and Dr. Harald Linné in Manage HR from July 2024.

Replay from A·lounge Digital from March 21, 2024

Missed the event? Watch the replay with the most important insights: (in Germany only)

Hidden Champion: Reliable implementers and forward-thinking innovators required

Atreus has been named “Hidden Champion of the Consulting Market 2024/2025,” outshining many well-known competitors. At a time of acute challenges and uncertain markets, Atreus consultants have built a reputation as reliable implementers, knowledgeable experts and forward-thinking innovators. We would like to thank our customers and business partners for this award!

Hidden Champion of the Consulting Market

The WGMB‘s “Hidden Champions of the Consulting Market” survey is Germany’s oldest seal of quality for consulting firms and enjoys great popularity and reach. In 2023, a detailed survey of 1,055 managers from large and medium-sized companies was conducted to determine which specialized but lesser-known consulting firms have more expertise than the three major consulting firms McKinsey, BCG and Bain & Company. To qualify as a “Hidden Champion”, the awareness of a consulting firm in the overall market must not exceed 15%. In addition, at least half of its clients must also work with one of the three major consulting firms and the consulting firm’s expertise in its specialist area must be rated higher than that of the three market leaders.

High satisfaction rate

Overall, the survey’s respondents were very positive about Atreus as a consulting firm. A clear expression of this was in the extremely high satisfaction ratings awarded to the services provided by Atreus. Atreus’ specialist knowledge, industry familiarity and analytical capabilities were particularly valued, as were communication skills on both technical and managerial levels.

Start with experience immediately to deliver results

Whether it‘s growth, production ramp-up or holistic quality assurance, experienced Atreus interim resources start implementing immediately and have a results-oriented management approach.

Whether in start-ups, mid-sized companies, tier 1 or vehicle manufacturers: an Atreus interim manager accelerates progress.

3 Examples of Successful Atreus Mandates:

The goal of the e-car offensive: challenges and obstacles

The European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany are committed to e-mobility. The German government has set an ambitious target of 15 million e-cars by 2030. The EU has decided on the end of combustion engines and presented a law for improved charging station supply at the beginning of July. But the reality is different: E-mobility is not finding the desired acceptance among people. There are many reasons for this, including excessively high prices and wrong political decisions.

E-car acceptance remains subdued

The German Federal Statistical Office reported in 2022 that Germans are still struggling to buy electric cars. Although the share of e-cars has increased, they are still a minority on German roads. Currently, just under one million e-cars are registered, representing only 4.5 percent of all passenger cars. To reach the traffic light coalition’s target, about 5,000 e-cars would have to be newly registered every day. Automotive expert Stefan Randak is skeptical about this target, calling it “wishful thinking”.

Price barrier and expensive electricity

The main reason for the hesitant e-car acceptance is the high purchase cost. Although subsidies have made electric cars more affordable, they are still more expensive than vehicles with internal combustion engines. The German Automobile Association (ADAC) named the Dacia Spring Electric 45 Essential as the cheapest e-car with a new price of €22,750. However, most e-cars are above this price level, while combustion engines are less expensive overall.

Challenges in infrastructure development

Another problem is the inadequate infrastructure for e-mobility. The availability of charging stations varies widely across Europe. While some countries, such as France, the Netherlands and Germany, have comparatively good charging station coverage, there are still large gaps in other countries, especially in southeastern European states.

The EU plans to install a charging station for passenger cars every 60 kilometers along the main roads. However, there are no uniform quality standards and there is a challenge to expand the congested network for more powerful charging stations. In addition, there are still no sustainable solutions for electric truck charging capacities.

Opportunities and prospects for e-mobility

Despite the current challenges, there are also positive developments for e-mobility. The automotive industry is increasingly setting the course for an electric future. In the first three quarters of 2022, e-car production totaled around 375,600 vehicles. This represents an increase of 66.2 percent compared with the same period last year. Although the German industry still mainly produces cars with classic combustion engines, the e-market is booming, especially in China. Volkswagen, once the market leader, now faces tough domestic competition and ranks second in e-cars in Germany, behind Tesla.

Outlook and summary

The e-car offensive in Germany and the EU faces major challenges, but also promising opportunities. High purchase costs and expensive electricity challenge the acceptance of electric cars. In addition, the expansion of the charging infrastructure is still insufficient. Nevertheless, there are positive developments in the automotive industry and progress in the planning of charging stations. Comprehensive cooperation between policymakers, industry and consumers will be necessary to sustainably advance e-mobility and achieve the ambitious goal of 15 million e-cars by 2030.

Atreus again wins the German Brand Award for outstanding branding

Atreus, the market leader in interim management in Germany and one of the leading European providers, has once again won the prestigious German Brand Award for its impressive branding. The jury of brand experts was impressed by Atreus in not one but two categories. Atreus stood out as the winner in the category “Corporate Services” and as the winner in the category “Brand Communication – Brand Events“.

To celebrate these successes, we present the two videos submitted for the award by the German Brand Award jury. The first video is entitled “Brand as the North Star of Digitalisation” and the second video is called “Strategic Co-Branding with Fraunhofer Alumni – 4th Innovation Lounge”. In these videos you can gain an insight into our brand strategy and our innovative cooperation approaches.

Team spirit as a success factor and perspective

The key to sustainable success at Atreus and its partners lies in the unconditional team spirit that permeates all projects. Sabine Dreesen, Head of Marketing, thanks the entire Atreus team and partners for their cooperation and emphasises the importance of each individual for this great success: “This success would not have been possible without the commitment, dedication and expertise of our talented team and our valued partners. I thank each and every one of them for their contribution to this great success, which we see as a confirmation of our excellent cooperation over the past years.”

Back in March, Atreus was named “Best Consultant” by the business magazine brand eins. The further awards at the German Brand Award confirm Atreus’ high cross-industry reputation as a multidisciplinary consultancy.

Start immediately with experience & deliver results

In particularly demanding corporate phases – whether growth, consolidation, or process optimization: An experienced interim resource starts immediately with implementation and has a results-oriented leadership approach.

Whether stock listed corporation, small & medium-sized- or portfolio company: Interim management accelerates transformation.

3 Examples of successful Atreus mandates :

Find out how you can secure your IT business roadmap 2023 in the PDF below.

Exhausted instead of cool – Adidas must inspire again

In the August 25, 2022 article in WirtschaftsWoche, Atreus Director York von Maßenbach comments on the creative drain at Adidas. Some excerpts from the article:

The premature departure of CEO Kasper Rorsted reveals that Adidas lacks traction. A successor must revitalize the sports brand – and bring difficult partners into line.

Clear words are a central part of Kanye West’s business model; sometimes the U.S. rapper praises Donald Trump in the highest terms, sometimes he insults opponents at the lowest level. And in mid-June, he addressed Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted personally in an Instagram message. “To Kasper,” West wrote in the post, which has since been deleted, “I will no longer tolerate this blatant copying.” The reason for his anger: adilettes presented shortly before looked strikingly similar to Yeezy slippers designed by him. “This shoe is a fake Yeezy, made by Adidas,” West wrote, ending his tirade by calling for an exchange among men: “Kasper, come talk to me.”

The fact that West went after the Adidas boss like that was particularly surprising because the two actually form a successful alliance. The Franconian sporting goods manufacturer has been cooperating with the rapper from Chicago since 2015. The most visible result is the Yeezy sneakers designed by West. They are limited, extravagant, expensive – and exceptionally successful. The New York Times recently estimated that the Yeezy collections generated sales of around 1.3 billion euros in 2019 alone.

Given West’s well-known unpredictability, no one blames Rorsted personally for the fact that his most important brand ambassador has turned against him head-on. And yet the pop star’s attack fits into the increasingly worrying picture that some investors and supervisory board members have recently formed of the Adidas boss: Rorsted, who is known primarily as a number and efficiency optimizer, lacks a fine sense for the sensitivities of creative people and thus also of brand management. As a result, the products of the world’s number two in the sporting goods industry are no longer quite as popular as those of some of its competitors. Adidas is therefore in danger of falling behind the competition.

Over the year, Adidas shares have lost almost half their value, significantly more than eternal rival Nike (a good minus 20 percent) and German competitor Puma (minus 40 percent). The entire industry is suffering from the ongoing corona blockades in China, which have caused sales there to slump over four quarters.

Observers, however, also see home-made problems: “Adidas is still a highly attractive brand, but has lost its appeal in submarkets,” judges Tobias Gröber, head of Ispo, the world’s largest trade fair for sporting goods and fashion in Munich. The brand also lives through its employees, says Gröber. “And here, a lot has changed in recent years.”

“Here, there are a lot of creative people at work, and you have to inspire them,” says York von Massenbach, director of the management consulting firm Atreus in Munich. Emotions also play a much greater role than in other industries.

When Rorsted’s predecessor Herbert Hainer said goodbye in 2016 after 16 years in office, there was a big soccer match with “Thank you, Herbert” jerseys. The Dane’s end of tenure is unlikely to be similarly emotional. “They mourned Herbert Hainer madly back then,” says Gröber. “The big difference with Nike was the way he led Adidas employees: not only professionally, but also with heart.”

“No more must-have products”

Rorsted led more with brains, drove up the share price and returns – and accepted numerous departures to do so. “Adidas cut a lot of staff in crucial places, a lot of creativity was lost,” says one industry insider. “On the cost side, of course, that looks good at first – but you have to be careful that a brand doesn’t become interchangeable in this way.”

It would be particularly important right now to reignite consumer desire – especially in the problem market of China, which is especially dependent on trends. “When Yeezy, the Superstar and three-striped tracksuits were hot, Adidas was doing well,” says an ex-manager of a Chinese Adidas competitor: “But today there’s nothing in the Adidas product line that’s as fresh and exciting.”

In an analysis at the end of July, Swiss bank UBS judged that “Adidas’ brand momentum does not seem to be accelerating.” The German group had not managed to “gain the necessary attention among consumers to overcome its multi-year dry spell.” Retail expert von Massenbach agrees: “Adidas’ desirability has waned somewhat. When it comes to innovation, people trust direct competitors more.”

Source: WirtschaftsWoche 35