CTS Group

What CTS Group does

CTS Group AG is a Swiss business coaching and consulting firm founded circa 1990, headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with operational campuses in Vallon (FR), Küttigen (AG), Sch\u00f6nholzerswilen (TG), and a TIER-IV certified data center in Gais. The firm operates as a three-entity group: CTS Group AG (leadership and organizational consulting), CTS Impulse AG (career transition, outplacement, and newplacement services with 17,000+ documented engagements), and CTS Impetus SA (digital technology and SaaS development). It serves large Swiss enterprises and multinational corporations with Swiss operations, evidenced by a reference customer list spanning ABB, Novartis, Nestl\u00e9, UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss Re, SAP, Siemens, BASF, and multiple Swiss cantonal governments.

The core product is the Impetus.Swiss SaaS platform, a four-language Leader's Relationship Management (LRM) system developed over four years and launched in 2022. The platform integrates competency profiling, profile matching, and development center features, combining AI-assisted tools with human-centered leadership methodology. Complementing the platform, CTS delivers structured assessment methodologies (LPE, TPE, IPE, Proselect), horse-based leadership training, interim management, strategy development, and multi-tier offboarding programs (OPTIMA, SUPRA, MAXIMA). Horse-based coaching is a distinctive experiential offering delivered at partner facilities.

Revenue is generated primarily through professional services engagements (coaching, consulting, assessment) with enterprise clients, complemented by subscription-based access to Impetus.Swiss and multi-year offboarding packages, plus one-time gift vouchers and standardized assessment packages (CHF 280\u2013CHF 810 publicly disclosed). The go-to-market is relationship-based enterprise sales supported by events (Discovery Days, horse seminars, data center tours), thought leadership publications, and industry association memberships. The firm is founder-led by Urs Thierstein with a partner bench of senior leadership consultants and is owned by the group entities without disclosed institutional investors.

Name

CTS Group

Legal name

CTS Group AG

Website

https://ctsgroup.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CTS Group AG is a Swiss business coaching and consulting firm serving large enterprises with leadership development, organizational intelligence, change management, and outplacement services, anchored by the Impetus.Swiss SaaS platform and supported by a three-entity group structure (CTS Group AG, CTS Impulse AG, CTS Impetus SA).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership Development & Executive Coaching (BPAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD), Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Executive coaching services
• Leadership development consulting
• Organizational transformation
• Talent assessment services
• Outplacement career coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Leadership & Executive Coaching Services: Individual and group coaching programs including Self Leadership, Integral Leadership, and behavioral-based leadership development. Delivered through certified coaches and partners.
2. Organizational Consulting: Strategic consulting services including vision engineering, strategy development, change management, and transformation programs. Includes interim management services.
3. Assessment & Development Services: Assessment Center evaluations, Development Center services, Profile Matching, Competency Panorama, and selection services to reduce hiring risk.
4. Offboarding & Outplacement: Professional separation services including OPTIMA, SUPRA, MAXIMA packages, debording support, and career transition coaching.
5. Training Programs & Seminars: Horse-based seminars, team events, and leadership training delivered at various locations across Switzerland.
6. Impetus.Swiss SaaS Platform: Subscription-based access to their Leader's Relationship Management platform, integrated with their consulting methodology.
7. Gift Vouchers: Prepaid coaching and seminar vouchers sold directly to individuals and corporate clients as gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CTS Group AG is a Swiss business coaching and management consulting firm offering leadership development, team coaching, organizational intelligence, and change management services. The firm delivers integral leadership consulting, behavioral-based assessments (LPE, TPE, IPE), horse-based leadership training, profile matching, and interim management. Its proprietary Impetus.Swiss cloud platform supports Leader's Relationship Management with AI-assisted tools, and its subsidiary CTS Impulse AG provides outplacement and newplacement services.

Product overview

CTS Group offers a portfolio of professional coaching, consulting, and assessment services, anchored by the Impetus.Swiss SaaS platform. The Impetus.Swiss platform serves as a cloud-based Leader's Relationship Management (LRM) system providing competency profiling, profile matching, and development center functionality across four languages. Complementing the platform, CTS Group delivers structured assessment and evaluation services including Leadership Performance Evaluation (LPE), Team Performance Evaluation (TPE), and Innovation Performance Evaluation (IPE), along with a Kompetenz-Panorama for competency visualization. Their service offerings span integral leadership development, winning teams coaching, organizational intelligence services, and change & transformation consulting including strategy development, interim management, offboarding/deboarding, and outplacement services. They also offer unique horse-based coaching seminars as an innovative training methodology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Impetus.Swiss: AI-supported, multilingual SaaS platform for Leader's Relationship Management (LRM), part of CTS Impetus SA, hosted on TIER-IV security level
• Newplacement/Outplacement Services
• Pferdeseminare (Horse Seminars)
• Vision Engineering
• Gutscheine

Products and services

• Impetus.Swiss A four-language SaaS platform for Leader's Relationship Management (LRM) integrating competency profiling, profile matching, and development center features to support human-centered digital transformation of organizations.
• Leadership Performance Evaluation (LPE) A structured assessment tool for evaluating leadership capabilities and performance of executives and managers based on integral leadership principles.
• Team Performance Evaluation (TPE) A diagnostic tool for assessing team dynamics, collaboration effectiveness, and collective performance using behavioral-based approaches.
• Innovation Performance Evaluation (IPE) An assessment system for evaluating organizational innovation capacity and performance.
• Assessment- und Development Center An assessment center utilizing modern diagnostic methods for identifying leadership potential, values, stress tolerance, and management styles.
• Profil-Matching A matching service that aligns candidate profiles with position requirements and organizational needs for optimal placement.
• Pferdeseminare & Coaching Innovative half-day training sessions using horse interaction to develop leadership skills, communication, and team collaboration in an unconventional environment.
• Offboarding/Deboarding Professional support services for departing employees including career transition coaching, placement assistance, and dignified offboarding processes via OPTIMA, SUPRA, and MAXIMA program tiers.
• Newplacement/Outplacement Career transition services including placement support, application strategy development, and interview preparation delivered by CTS Impulse AG.
• Interim-Manager Interim management solutions providing experienced executives for transformation projects, restructuring, and leadership vacancies.
• Strategieentwicklung / Vision Engineering Strategic consulting services including future vision development, strategic goal setting, and transformation roadmap creation based on scientific futurology methods.
• Gutscheine (Gift Vouchers) Gift vouchers for coaching sessions and seminars including Proselect analyses, horse seminars, and offboarding packages.
• Kompetenz-Panorama A comprehensive competency visualization tool providing self-assessment and external perspectives on individual skill profiles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000+ newplacement support engagements completed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CTS Impulse AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within the CTS Group ecosystem. CTS Impulse AG specializes in career counseling, newplacement, outplacement, and life transformation coaching services. They have conducted 17,000+ career support engagements at five locations.
• CTS Impetus AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital technology hub and software development entity. Provides the Impetus.Swiss SaaS platform and technical infrastructure. Connects startups with creative developers and provides a home for digital products.
• New Work AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem partner network bringing together CTS Group AG, CTS Impulse AG, CTS Impetus AG, and associated experts. Offers broad spectrum of experts and platform providers for comprehensive solutions.
• SwissBoardForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership organization for board-level executives and governance professionals in Switzerland.
• EAHAE InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational association for human resources and organizational development professionals.
• KMU SwissminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss SME business association providing networking and support for small and medium enterprises.
• praxis-club.chminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional practice network for consulting and business professionals in Switzerland.
• katapuls.chminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss professional network for leadership and management consultants.
• TIER-IV Certified Data CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner data center facility in Gais, Switzerland with TIER-IV certification (ISO/IEC 27001:2013 compliant). Hosts the Impetus.Swiss platform and offers guided facility tours as corporate events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kienbaum: German-headquartered leadership consulting and HR advisory firm offering executive search, leadership development, and organizational consulting across Europe. Directly comparable to CTS in leadership coaching, assessment, and organization design services in the DACH market.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep Swiss and DACH presence, focused on board-level appointments, executive coaching, and leadership evaluation — closely overlapping CTS's Leadership Performance Evaluation (LPE) and executive coaching offerings.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global leadership advisory firm combining executive search, leadership assessment, and culture/organization transformation — directly comparable to CTS's mix of assessment, coaching, and change services for senior leadership teams.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership consulting firm with strong presence in Switzerland serving large enterprises on board, CEO, and senior leadership appointments — comparable to CTS's enterprise leadership and assessment focus.
• Right Management (ManpowerGroup): Global outplacement, career transition, and talent development firm — directly comparable to CTS Impulse AG's newplacement/outplacement practice with its OPTIMA/SUPRA/MAXIMA programs and 17,000+ engagements to date.
• LHH (Lee Hecht Harrison): Global career transition, leadership development, and talent advisory firm — directly comparable to CTS's combined outplacement and leadership development offering, particularly for organizations managing large-scale workforce transitions.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development and assessment firm offering Leadership Performance Evaluation-style diagnostics, behavioral simulations, and leadership pipeline programs — closely comparable to CTS's LPE/TPE/IPE assessment suite.
• hkp/// group: Frankfurt-based HR and leadership advisory firm specializing in executive compensation, board advisory, and leadership development — comparable to CTS in serving DACH enterprise clients with leadership evaluation and governance support.

Emerging players

• IMD (International Institute for Management Development): Switzerland-based top-ranked business school offering executive education and leadership development programs — a direct domestic peer to CTS's leadership and team development offerings, especially for Swiss-based enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm covering executive search, leadership development, assessment, and rewards. A broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise leadership/transformation spend as CTS, but at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=5M9YRMdIHcM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cts-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 CTS Group