HANSE Consulting

What HANSE Consulting does

HANSE Consulting (legal entity: HMC HANSE Management Consulting GmbH) is a Hamburg-based German management consulting firm founded in 1995/1996, specializing in turnaround, restructuring, performance improvement, M&A advisory, and interim management for medium-sized enterprises and corporate groups. The firm delivers four core service lines — Turnaround & Restrukturierung, Performance Improvement, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Interim Management — staffed by partners and senior experts (including specialists in liquidity planning, cyber security, energy cost analysis, and accounting/finance/controlling). Distinctive methodologies include a Cyber Security Quick-Check and a proprietary 24-month liquidity planning tool developed across hundreds of engagements, plus authorization to issue IDW S6 Sanierungsgutachten. The firm operates through a wholly-owned subsidiary, HANSE Interim Management GmbH, and sub-brands including HANSE M&A.

The firm generates revenue through project-based consulting fees billed to corporate clients, with no public pricing disclosed. It serves more than ten vertical segments — manufacturing and mechanical engineering as the primary segment, with automotive, healthcare, real estate and construction, chemicals and pharma, retail and wholesale, hospitality, logistics, consumer goods, and specialized service providers as secondary segments. Documented client engagements include multi-country benchmark analyses across seven international production sites (Europe, Asia, North America), an automotive supplier EV transition that shifted the revenue mix by 50% within one year, distressed sale executions within five months, and post-merger integration work. The customer base is a mix of enterprise and mid-market German companies, with concentration in industrial and consumer-facing sectors.

Distribution occurs primarily through direct partner-led enterprise field sales, supported by a strategic partnership with Warth & Klein Grant Thornton (intensified since 2018, with co-located offices in Hamburg since January 2022 and Düsseldorf since September 2022, plus a flagship Hamburg relocation to the Kaisergalerie in June 2023). The firm operates offices in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, and Munich, and has been recognized as one of Germany's "Beste Berater" (Best Consultants) in the restructuring category by brand eins/Statista for seven consecutive years. Founders Stefan Kleiner and Hartmut Hitgen established the firm; current senior partners include Andreas Lau (Düsseldorf, interim management), Michael Schmitt (Stuttgart/Munich), and Dr. Thomas Zubke – von Thünen.

Name

HANSE Consulting

Legal name

HMC HANSE Management Consulting GmbH

Website

https://hanseconsulting.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HANSE Consulting is a Hamburg-based German management consulting firm providing turnaround, restructuring, performance improvement, M&A advisory, and interim management services primarily to mid-sized enterprises and corporate groups across more than ten industry verticals, delivered through partner-led engagements and a strategic partnership with Grant Thornton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Turnaround, Restructuring & Crisis Management Consulting (BPAHACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Restructuring & Turnaround Advisory (BPAHAOAC), M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Financial Management & Performance Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAF), Fairness Opinions & Independent Financial Advice (BPAHAOAF)

Keywords

• Turnaround consulting
• Restructuring services
• M&A advisory
• Performance improvement
• Interim management

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Services: Project-based consulting fees for turnaround & restructuring, performance improvement, M&A advisory, and interim management services. Revenue generated through professional service engagements billed to corporate clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HANSE Consulting is a German management consulting firm providing turnaround and restructuring, performance improvement, mergers & acquisitions advisory, and interim management services to medium-sized companies and corporate groups. The firm delivers project-based consulting engagements covering crisis management, Independent Business Reviews, IDW S6 turnaround reports, restructuring concepts, performance optimization, M&A transactions (including distressed M&A), due diligence, and placement of interim executives (CROs, CFOs) for clients in transition or distress.

Product overview

HANSE Consulting is a German management consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of four core consulting service lines: Turnaround & Restrukturierung, Performance Improvement, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Interim Management. These services are delivered through specialized methodologies and tools, including a Cyber Security Quick-Check for identifying vulnerabilities in restructuring projects, and a proprietary liquidity planning tool developed from extensive project experience. The firm operates across multiple industry verticals including Automotive, Chemical & Pharma, Health & Care, Retail, Hospitality, Logistics, Machinery & Plant Engineering, and Real Estate & Construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HANSE M&A: M&A advisory services under the HANSE Consulting group
• HANSE Interim

Products and services

• Turnaround & Restrukturierung (Turnaround & Restructuring) Core consulting service covering crisis management, Independent Business Reviews (IBR), restructuring concepts, IDW S6 turnaround reports, turnaround management, and cyber security assessments for companies in financial or operational distress.
• Performance Improvement Consulting service focused on profit optimization, strategy development, process and structure optimization, change management, and digitalization initiatives for companies seeking to improve operational and financial performance.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Full M&A service including company acquisition, company sale, distressed M&A, due diligence, company valuation, and post-merger integration (PMI) for mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Interim Management Interim management services delivered through HANSE Interim Management GmbH, connecting companies with interim executives including Chief Restructuring Officers (CROs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) during leadership transitions or crisis situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% increase in non-combustion engine revenue for automotive supplier client within one year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Warth & Klein Grant ThorntoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2022Strategic partnership since 2018, with co-location of Hamburg offices since January 2022 and Düsseldorf offices since September 2022. Combined presence integrates advisory, audit, tax, and business process services with restructuring, performance improvement, distressed M&A, and interim management under one roof.
• Grant Thornton InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network partnership providing access to global resources for international benchmark projects. HMC Hanse Management Consulting GmbH collaborated with international Grant Thornton member firms for multi-country benchmark analysis projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alvarez & Marsal: Global restructuring and turnaround specialist with deep presence in Germany. Directly comparable to HANSE's turnaround, distressed M&A, and performance improvement services, though at materially larger scale and with broader international footprint.
• FTI Consulting: Global advisory firm with a strong restructuring practice serving European corporates and lenders. Overlaps with HANSE's IBR, turnaround, and distressed M&A offerings, particularly for German mid-market and cross-border mandates.
• Roland Berger: German-headquartered strategy and restructuring consultancy. Comparable to HANSE in serving German Mittelstand on restructuring and corporate transformation, with deeper international scale.
• hhp Hamburg: Hamburg-based restructuring and insolvency advisory boutique. Closely comparable to HANSE on geography, mid-market turnaround focus, and IDW S6 / insolvency-administration-adjacent work.
• Plückebaum & Partner: German restructuring boutique focused on turnaround, interim management, and insolvency advisory. Direct peer to HANSE in service mix and mid-market segment.
• Kearney: Global management consultancy with a German restructuring and operations practice. Comparable to HANSE on performance improvement and corporate transformation, though typically at enterprise scale.
• Ebner Stolz: German mid-market advisory firm with restructuring, corporate finance, and audit capabilities. Direct peer to HANSE on German Mittelstand turnaround, distressed M&A, and IBR work.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Restructuring: Big 4 restructuring practice serving German corporates and lenders. Comparable to HANSE in core service lines but operates at significantly larger scale and as part of a full-service advisory, audit, and tax platform.
• PwC Germany Deals & Restructuring: Big 4 restructuring practice with strong presence in German distressed M&A and IBR mandates. Comparable to HANSE in M&A and turnaround services, with broader corporate finance and audit cross-sell.
• BDO Germany Restructuring: Mid-market-focused accounting and advisory network with a German restructuring practice. Comparable to HANSE in mid-market turnaround and M&A mandates, with broader audit/tax cross-sell.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hanse-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 HANSE Consulting