Ben Schulz & Partner

What Ben Schulz & Partner does

Ben Schulz & Partner AG is a privately held German management consulting firm (Aktiengesellschaft) founded in 2001 and headquartered in Dillenburg-Frohnhausen, Germany, employing 11–50 people. The firm specializes in corporate mission/vision development (Unternehmensleitbild), leadership guideline creation (Führungsleitlinien), executive development programs (Führungskräfteentwicklung), and entrepreneur coaching for the DACH Mittelstand — mid-sized companies whose leadership challenges have outgrown the remit of classical structural consulting. Service delivery is anchored on the proprietary 'Hope & Trust Leadership' methodology that frames leadership culture as a psychological anchor and seeks to convert soft cultural factors into measurable KPIs.

The firm's product portfolio combines traditional professional-services engagements with two proprietary technology assets. The Leitbild-Profiler is an in-house diagnostic tool that operationalizes a corporate mission statement into measurable project and decision criteria. Leadership Partner AI, launched in 2025 and built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI infrastructure, is a SaaS-delivered conversational AI sparring partner for executives, with EU-only data residency and explicit opt-out from training-data collection. Each license key maps to a single natural person; Leadership Partner AI was awarded Innovator des Jahres 2026.

Revenue is generated through three concurrent streams: (i) project-based professional services for consulting and executive coaching, (ii) a per-user subscription SaaS product for Leadership Partner AI, and (iii) usage-based technical support billed at EUR 30 net per 15-minute unit as an add-on. A material portion of consulting revenue is routed through the German BAFA 'Förderung unternehmerischen Know-hows' program, which subsidizes up to 80% of fees for eligible SMEs (capped at EUR 2,800 per application) — a positioning lever that broadens the firm's addressable buyer base into cost-sensitive mid-market accounts. Named reference customers include MHP Porsche, BAHAG, Hailo, Mainzer Stadwerke, Stadtwerke Münster, KUKA, and Share Now, alongside more than 40 additional Mittelstand engagements. Distribution is direct-B2B with Calendly-enabled self-service booking, supplemented by content marketing (whitepapers, the 'Kohl & Schulz' podcast, Mission Hoffnungsträger events, CEO-Rides) and paid acquisition (LinkedIn, Meta, Google Ads).

Name

Ben Schulz & Partner

Legal name

Ben Schulz & Partner AG

Website

https://benschulz-partner.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ben Schulz & Partner AG is a German management consulting firm (founded 2001, headquartered in Dillenburg-Frohnhausen, 11–50 employees) that delivers corporate mission development, leadership guidelines, executive coaching, and a SaaS AI executive-sparring product (Leadership Partner AI) for the DACH mid-market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership Development & Executive Coaching (BPAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC), Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA), Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Management consulting services
• Leadership development programs
• Executive coaching services
• Corporate vision consulting
• AI coaching platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Bicken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Coaching Services: Professional services revenue from corporate culture consulting, leadership development programs, executive coaching, and management training delivered through consultants and coaches.
2. Technical Support Services: Technical support billed at 30 EUR per 15-minute unit (net), provided as an add-on service to primary consulting engagements.
3. SaaS - Leadership Partner AI: Software-as-a-Service offering for AI-powered leadership coaching. Sold as user licenses with time-based access. Vergütung wird pro Nutzerlizenz berechnet (remuneration calculated per user license).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Ben Schulz & Partner AG is a German consulting firm that develops corporate mission statements (Unternehmensleitbild), leadership guidelines (Führungsleitlinien), and executive development programs (Führungskräfteentwicklung) for mid-sized DACH-region companies. The firm combines traditional consulting and executive coaching with a proprietary SaaS AI coaching product (Leadership Partner AI) built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI, applying its "Hope & Trust Leadership" methodology.

Product overview

Ben Schulz & Partner AG is a consulting firm for corporate mission statements, leadership guidelines, and executive development targeting the DACH mid-market. The portfolio centers on Hope & Trust Leadership as a unifying methodology, with the core AI product Leadership Partner AI serving as an always-available AI coaching sparring partner for executives. Complementary services include Führungsleitlinien (leadership guideline development), Führungskräfteentwicklung (executive development programs), Unternehmensleitbild (corporate mission transformation with the Leitbild-Profiler diagnostic tool), and Unternehmercoaching (entrepreneur coaching). The offering extends to supporting services such as management consulting, communication coaching, change management, conflict management, sales training, and personality development, supplemented by educational content including whitepapers, the SPIEGEL bestseller book 'Führungskräfte als Hoffnungsträger', and the Mission Hoffnungsträger expedition program. The Perspektivenmacher self-assessment provides a entry-point assessment tied to the book's principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leadership Partner AI: AI-powered coaching service and sparring partner for executives in the Mittelstand.

Products and services

• Führungsleitlinien (Leadership Guidelines) Guideline development service that creates transformation guardrails, providing organizations with leadership frameworks that establish stance, accountability, and employee perspective.
• Führungskräfteentwicklung (Executive Development) Leadership development program that develops executives and top management across industries to build orientation, trust, effectiveness, and courage in leadership during uncertain times.
• Unternehmensleitbild (Corporate Mission/Vision) Corporate culture transformation service using data-driven diagnostics and Hope & Trust Leadership approach to transform leadership culture into measurable, crisis-resistant foundations.
• Leadership Partner AI AI-powered coaching sparring partner for mid-market executives, available around the clock to provide real-time guidance on leadership decisions, strategic clarity, difficult conversations, and moments requiring collaborative thinking. Sold per user license.
• Unternehmercoaching (Entrepreneur Coaching) Coaching service for entrepreneurs and business owners navigating strategic decisions and business challenges.
• Leitbild-Profiler (Mission Profiler) Smart diagnostic tool that makes values and goals measurable and helps leaders align projects and decisions with the corporate mission statement.
• Technical Support Service Usage-based technical support billed at 30 EUR per 15-minute unit (net), provided as an add-on service to primary consulting engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80% of consulting costs subsidized through BAFA government program

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBen Schulz & Partner AG is a verified corporate consultant under the BAFA 'Förderung unternehmerischen Know-hows' program. This enables SMEs to receive government subsidies of 50-80% for consulting services, making offerings accessible to a broader Mittelstand clientele.
• Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd.coreTechnology or IntegrationLeadership Partner AI is powered by Azure OpenAI infrastructure from Microsoft. All user data processing occurs exclusively within the European Union. No third-country data transfers. Prompts and conversation content are not used for AI model training.
• LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platform for professional networking and marketing. Company maintains LinkedIn page for brand presence. LinkedIn Insight Tag used for website visitor analytics and retargeting.
• Meta Platforms Ireland LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook and Instagram advertising platform. Meta Pixel and Meta Conversion API used for website visitor tracking and ad optimization. Data transfers to USA under Standard Contractual Clauses.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Haufe Akademie: Subsidiary of the Haufe Group providing leadership, HR, and management training/consulting to German mid-market clients. Comparable as a DACH-focused training and leadership development provider serving SME customers.
• Metaplan: German strategy and organization development consultancy with a methodological, facilitation-driven approach to leadership and culture work. Comparable boutique DACH firm operating in adjacent organizational development territory.
• osb international: Berlin-based boutique consultancy specializing in organizational transformation, change management, and leadership development. Comparable as a German-speaking boutique focused on culture and leadership transformation for enterprises.
• Dr. Kraus & Partner: German change management and leadership consulting boutique serving Mittelstand clients across DACH. Directly comparable given overlap in leadership development, change, and culture transformation work.
• Kienbaum Consultants International: German leadership and executive consulting firm offering leadership development, executive search, and organizational consulting to the Mittelstand. Most directly comparable peer given DACH focus and leadership/executive development practice overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a substantial leadership development and executive coaching practice. Comparable in service line but operates at much larger scale and enterprise tier, not Mittelstand-focused.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong DACH presence. Comparable in leadership/executive development and culture advisory, but serves a larger enterprise tier with broader geographic scope.

Emerging players

• BetterUp: Global AI-augmented coaching platform offering scalable executive and leadership coaching subscriptions. Comparable through the AI-coaching angle and subscription model, but operates at much larger scale and primarily in English-language enterprise markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEovke6QyjPZT7-w007AX7w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/benschulz-partner-ag
• Xx.com/benschulz_ag
• Facebookfacebook.com/benschulz.partner.ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Ben Schulz & Partner