What Highberg does

Highberg is a privately held European transformation consultancy headquartered in Amsterdam, operating across the Netherlands, the DACH region (via Hamburg), and France (via Gladwell Academy France). The firm employs 251-500 people and serves large enterprises and public-sector organizations across nine verticals, including Government and Public Sector, Energy and Utilities, Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications. Notable clients include Shell, ASML, Rabobank, NS, ProRail, Rijksoverheid, Politie, Dutch Tax Administration, and Amadeus Digital Transformation Services.

The company is organized around five integrated service lines: Strategy and Innovation, Performance and Agility, Digital Data and AI, People and Organization, and Leadership and Culture. Its core technology comprises proprietary frameworks and tools including the Managing Successful Transformations (MST) framework, the Highberg Cloud Governance Framework, the DEI Scan diagnostic, and Heidi, a conversational AI assistant that enables natural-language querying of HR analytics via Power BI. The firm maintains a B Corp certification and positions itself as both architect and builder of transformation, delivering side-by-side multi-disciplinary teams on long-term engagements rather than pure advisory.

Highberg generates revenue primarily through professional services consulting engagements, supplemented by training programs via its Gladwell Academy subsidiary (e.g., €895 per attendee for EU Pay Transparency Directive training in Dutch) and paid events such as the €175 EU Pay Transparency conference offering PO accreditation points. Consulting fees are quote-based and undisclosed. GTM is relationship-driven enterprise field sales targeting C-suite and senior leadership, complemented by content marketing (insights/blog, High on AI podcast), events, training programs, and B2B partnerships with law firms and research organizations to extend reach into compliance-driven demand.

Name

Highberg

Legal name

Highberg B.V.

Website

https://highberg.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Highberg is a European transformation consultancy that delivers integrated strategy, digital/AI, HR, and leadership services to large enterprises and government organizations across the Netherlands, DACH, and France, supported by proprietary frameworks and the Gladwell Academy training subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHACAI), Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE), Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA), Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Management consulting services
• Organizational transformation consulting
• Digital transformation advisory
• Change management consulting
• HR consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Management and Strategy Consulting: Highberg generates revenue through professional consulting engagements across its five service lines: Strategy and Innovation, Performance and Agility, Digital Data and AI, People and Organization, and Leadership and Culture. Engagements are typically long-term transformation programs delivered by integrated multi-disciplinary teams. Revenue is project-based, scoped by scope and team composition.
2. Training and Academy Services: Highberg operates Gladwell Academy, providing training programs including the EU Pay Transparency Directive training day (€895 per person), and other professional development programs. Training is delivered both publicly (scheduled sessions in Dutch) and in-company (customized content). Revenue is recognized per-attendee or as fixed in-company fees.
3. Events and Conferences: Highberg organizes paid events targeting HR professionals and employment lawyers, such as the EU Pay Transparency Directive conference (November 2025, €175 per attendee, offering 5 PO accreditation points). Events serve both as revenue stream and GTM channel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Highberg is a European transformation consultancy that delivers integrated consulting services across five practice areas: Strategy and Innovation, Performance and Agility, Digital Data and AI, People and Organization, and Leadership and Culture. Engagements combine strategic advisory with hands-on execution by multi-disciplinary teams working side-by-side with clients on long-term transformation programs, supported by proprietary frameworks (MST), proprietary tools (Heidi AI assistant, DEI Scan), and a training sub-brand (Gladwell Academy).

Product overview

Highberg is a European transformation consultancy offering integrated consulting services across five main practice areas: Strategy and Innovation, Performance and Agility, Digital, Data and AI, People and Organization, and Leadership and Culture. The company provides both strategic advisory and hands-on implementation support. Their product portfolio includes proprietary AI-powered tools like Heidi (a conversational analytics assistant for HR data), the Managing Successful Transformations (MST) framework, and assessment tools like the DEI Scan. They also operate Gladwell Academy for training programs and publish thought leadership content through the High on AI Podcast. Services are delivered through integrated multi-disciplinary teams that work side-by-side with clients from strategy through execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy and Innovation Strategic consulting services covering strategy formulation and execution, change management, target operating models, and innovation management to help enterprise and government clients shape their future direction.
• Performance and Agility Organizational performance improvement consulting focused on building adaptive ways of working, embedding continuous improvement culture, and achieving operational excellence for enterprise clients.
• Digital, Data and AI Digital transformation consulting covering digital strategy and execution, data and AI implementation, and risk, resilience and compliance consulting to help organizations build intelligent, futureproof solutions.
• People and Organization HR and organizational consulting including reward and pensions, job and career frameworks, AI-driven HR, workforce planning, diversity equity and inclusion, and market research.
• Leadership and Culture Leadership development and cultural transformation services including leadership team development, coaching and assessment, culture change programs, and interim management for enterprise and government clients.
• Heidi - Conversational AI Analytics Assistant A conversational AI assistant that enables natural language queries of HR analytics data, allowing users to visualize Power BI data and gain insights from HR information without requiring technical expertise. Built for HR and people analytics users.
• Gladwell Academy Training Programs Professional development training programs delivered publicly at Gladwell Academy locations in Utrecht and Paris, and as customized in-company programs. Topics include EU Pay Transparency Directive, HR analytics, and related regulatory and people-focused subjects, priced per attendee or quoted in-company.
• DEI Scan An assessment tool that helps organizations gain insight into their current status on diversity, equity, and inclusion and provides advice on next steps for improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully transferred full responsibility for Agile transformation to local team at Amadeus Digital Transformation Services using the MST framework
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MR. in opleidingenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2025Highberg collaborated with MR. in opleidingen (a legal training provider) to host the EU Pay Transparency Directive conference on November 18, 2025 at Jaarbeurs Utrecht. MR. in opleidingen handles registration, accreditation, and billing for the event, which offers 5 PO accreditation points for employment lawyers. This is a co-marketing and co-hosting partnership.
• RumboldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighberg and Rumbold jointly conducted research for the EU Pay Transparency Directive Benchmark 2025, surveying 112 large organizations in the Netherlands, Europe, and beyond. This benchmark study assesses organizational readiness, challenges, and opportunities related to the EU Pay Transparency Directive.
• SteensmaEvenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSteensmaEven is a law firm that partners with Highberg on EU Pay Transparency Directive training and advisory services. Their employment lawyers (Amber Zwanenburg, Zef Even) co-lead sessions on legal obligations, recruitment transparency, reporting requirements, and pay gap analysis alongside Highberg consultants.
• Prosus AI House AmsterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighberg's 'AI loves HR' event (September 7, 2026) is hosted at Prosus AI House Amsterdam, a venue known for AI innovation and tech events. This is a venue/partnership for the event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Consulting: Big 4 advisory firm with deep European Human Capital, Transformation, and Risk practices — competes for transformation, change management, and EU regulatory compliance work in the same client base.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG): Global management consultancy with BCG Platinion and GAMMA digital build practices — competes for enterprise-wide transformation and agile / operating-model redesign mandates across Highberg's verticals.
• Accenture: Global professional services firm with a large European Strategy & Consulting practice covering transformation, digital, and AI — direct competitor for enterprise transformation mandates in the same verticals Highberg serves.
• McKinsey & Company: Premier global management consultancy with deep European transformation, organization, and AI practices — competes for the largest strategic transformation engagements and sets premium pricing benchmarks in Highberg's verticals.
• Capgemini Invent: Digital transformation and innovation arm of Capgemini with strong European footprint — directly comparable consulting services across digital, data, AI, and operating model transformation.

Direct peers

• Roland Berger: European-headquartered global management consultancy with strong presence in the Netherlands and DACH — closely comparable mid-to-large transformation, organization, and digital practice targeting similar enterprise and public sector clients.
• Kearney: Global management consultancy with strong European operations and procurement / operations heritage — directly comparable strategy-to-execution transformation engagements across multiple verticals.
• Arthur D. Little: European-origin global management consultancy with strong DACH and Benelux presence — comparable strategy, organization, and transformation consulting practice targeting similar mid-to-large enterprise clients.
• Simon-Kucher & Partners: European-headquartered global consultancy specializing in commercial transformation, pricing, and growth strategy — comparable mid-sized European firm targeting transformation mandates for enterprise clients.
• Oliver Wyman: Global management consultancy (Marsh McLennan) with strong European presence in financial services, energy, and public sector — competes for transformation, risk, and organization design mandates in overlapping verticals.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HighbergConsult
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highberg
• Facebookfacebook.com/The-Highberg-Group-103201435608252

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highberg