Heidrick & Struggles Appoints Two Managing Directors to Lead Interim Management Business in Germany

CHICAGO/LONDON/MUNICH, February 19, 2026 — Heidrick & Struggles, a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand (interim) talent solutions, announced the appointment of Dr. Christian Frank and Mike Schwanke as Managing Directors of Heidrick & Struggles’ Interim Management business in Germany, Atreus. They will immediately assume responsibility for Atreus’ in-country operations and strategy. These appointments underscore Heidrick & Struggles’ commitment to continuity for clients, executives, and employees in the DACH region. Founders Dr. Harald Linné and Rainer Nagel will remain part of the management team through the end 2026 to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

“Germany represents a core market for our Executive Interim strategy, reflecting both its significance to our clients and its role within our global interim management leadership platform,” said Sunny Ackerman, Global Managing Partner, On-Demand Talent, Heidrick & Struggles. “Christian and Mike bring extensive experience in leadership and transformation and are well placed to lead the next phase of growth in the German market as part of our global interim offerings.”

Since Heidrick & Struggles acquired Atreus in 2023, Atreus has contributed to expanding the firm’s interim management footprint across Germany and Europe, reinforcing its leading position in the executive interim segment. This leadership transition marks the next step in integrating and scaling interim management in one of Europe’s largest economies.

“Organizations today are navigating increasing complexity and change, and they need experienced leadership that can create stability and deliver results,” said Mike Schwanke. “Demand for executive-level interim and transformational leadership solutions continues to grow across Germany, Europe, and beyond.”

“The past few years have reinforced how critical seasoned leadership is during periods of disruption,” said Dr. Christian Frank. “We partner closely with our clients as trusted advisors, combining practical expertise with hands-on support to drive meaningful, measurable outcomes. That client focus continues to fuel our momentum and our growth.”

“Over the past three years, our business across the DACH region has grown strongly in all our solution areas – executive search, interim management, and consulting. With this new leadership team in place, we are even better positioned to support our clients through complex leadership transformations,” said Nicolas von Rosty, Managing Partner of Heidrick & Struggles, Germany and Cluster Leader, DACH.

Mike Schwanke led the Consumer Goods & Retail industry practice prior to his current appointment. He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning general management, marketing, commercial digitalization, sales, and digital transformation.

Dr. Christian Frank has been a long-standing Partner and member of the Executive Board of Atreus. He brings more than 30 years of management experience across restructuring, change management, operations, and sales. He previously led the Industrial Machinery & Plant Engineering industry practice.

About Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles is the world’s foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we have delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams. Learn more at www.heidrick.com.

Media Contact, Heidrick
Bianca Wilson
Global Director, Public Relations
Heidrick & Struggles
bwilson@heidrick.com

Media Contact, Atreus
Frank Wöllstein
WBCO PR-Agency
f.woellstein@wbco.de
t +49 69 1338 8035
m +49 171 489 7487