HowToWin
HowToWin is a Danish management consulting and HR services firm, founded 2004, that delivers recruitment, outplacement, career counseling, management consulting, and board services to enterprises, SMEs, individuals, and boards across Denmark and the Nordics via 15+ offices and a 7-consultant core team.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What HowToWin does
HowToWin is a privately held Danish management consulting and HR services firm founded in 2004 and headquartered in Søborg (Copenhagen), Denmark. The company delivers a bundled portfolio across five service lines: recruitment and headhunting (with a 2-year placement guarantee), outplacement (individual, executive, humanistic, and group-based), individual career counseling, management consulting (business development, strategy, LEAN, leadership coaching, conflict resolution), and board services (recruitment, training, evaluation). It serves enterprise companies, SMEs, individual professionals, and boards of directors across Denmark, with a stated cumulative track record of 200+ annual placements, 100+ executive outplacements, 100+ strategy engagements, and 700+ board members trained.
The firm operates through a core consulting team of approximately 7 senior consultants led by CEO/owner Kim Holst (25+ years of executive management experience, HD-A, MBA, Board of Director education from CBS), supported by an extended associate network for large-scale redundancy projects. Delivery relies on human-delivered consulting augmented by licensed assessment instruments (Hogan, NEO-PI-3), the Hofstede Multi-Focus Organizational Culture Model, and frameworks including Ikigai, The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, LEAN, and the Pendling Model for outplacement. An e-Outplacement self-service platform supplements in-person coaching. Geographic reach spans 15+ Danish offices plus partner-operated locations in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Oslo.
HowToWin makes money primarily through professional-services fees: project-based and retainer consulting, recruitment fees typically structured as a percentage of placed candidate salary, executive outplacement engagements commanding up to 350,000 DKK each, and individual career counseling delivered via a subscription-like financing arrangement (699–1,299 DKK/month, 0% interest via Resurs). Distribution is direct-to-client via field sales, with thought leadership and lead generation supported by LinkedIn, content marketing, SEO, email newsletter, and Calendly online booking. No external funding rounds, parent companies, or subsidiaries are disclosed; the business is founder-owned and operated as a consultancy partnership.
HowToWin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HowToWin
- Legal name
- HowToWin
- Website
- https://howtowin.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HowToWin is a Danish management consulting and HR services firm, founded 2004, that delivers recruitment, outplacement, career counseling, management consulting, and board services to enterprises, SMEs, individuals, and boards across Denmark and the Nordics via 15+ offices and a 7-consultant core team.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HowToWin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HR and Management Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Individual Outplacement & Career Coaching (BPACAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Group Outplacement Programs (Employer-Sponsored) (BPACAOAB)
Keywords
Where HowToWin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices17 records
Markets served
HowToWin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Recruitment & Headhunting Services: Executive and specialist recruitment services for companies. Includes search, screening, assessment, and selection processes. Revenue is project-based, typically a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary or fixed fee per engagement.
- Outplacement Services: Individual and group outplacement programs for employees being terminated. Services range from standard career transition to executive-level programs. Executive outplacement programs can command fees up to 350,000 DKK per engagement.
- Career Counseling: Individual career guidance programs for job seekers and career changers. Includes career assessment, job search strategy, CV preparation, interview training, and ongoing support. Financing options available (0% interest, up to 40,000 DKK over 29-31 months).
- Consulting Services: Management consulting including business development, strategy, LEAN implementation, leadership coaching, executive coaching, and organizational culture assessment. Billed as project engagements or retainer arrangements.
- Board Services: Board recruitment, training, and evaluation services. Includes board member profiling, governance consulting, and board development programs. Kim Holst holds Board of Director education from Copenhagen Business School.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Career Counseling Financing - Tier 1 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Career Counseling Financing - Tier 2 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Career Counseling Financing - Tier 3 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Executive Outplacement |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Standard Recruitment with 2-Year Guarantee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
HowToWin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HowToWin is a Danish consulting firm that delivers management consulting, executive recruitment with a 2-year placement guarantee, outplacement services, career counseling, and board development services. The firm helps companies, leaders, and employees develop optimally through a holistic approach spanning the employee lifecycle, with a stated philosophy of 'management with people at the center.'
Product overview
HowToWin is a Danish consulting and HR services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of management consulting, recruitment, outplacement, and career counseling services. The core offerings include Consulting Services (covering strategy, business development, LEAN, executive coaching), Rekruttering (recruitment with selection, headhunting, and 2-year guarantee), Outplacement (individual, executive, and group programs), Karriererådgivning (career counseling using the Ikigai methodology), and Bestyrelser (board services). Supporting offerings include Personprofiler og Tests (assessment tools including Hogan and NEO-PI-3 personality tests), Organizational Culture analysis using Hofstede's model, a web-based CV Bank, and Financing options for career services. The company operates nationwide across Denmark with multiple offices and positions itself as a 'management with people at the center' consultancy founded in 2004.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Consulting Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% job placement rate for career counseling candidates (based on Novo Nordisk collaboration)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use HowToWin
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HowToWin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
HowToWin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- International NetworkminorHowToWin maintains an international network for sharing best practices and cross-border collaboration in executive search, outplacement, and management consulting. Website references 'Internationalt netværk' as part of their service offering.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HowToWin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Randstad Denmark: Global staffing and HR services leader with Danish operations. Overlaps with HowToWin on recruitment and outplacement but at materially greater scale and with broader service portfolio (temporary staffing, RPO, talent solutions).
- Korn Ferry: Global executive search, leadership development, and organizational consulting firm. Overlaps with HowToWin on executive search, board services, and leadership consulting, but operates at much larger scale and with proprietary IP across the full talent lifecycle.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and board advisory firm. Particularly comparable to HowToWin's Board Services offering (board recruitment, evaluation, and training) and on senior executive search mandates in Denmark.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with dedicated culture and organizational practice. Comparable on senior-level search and board advisory, competing with HowToWin's bestyrelser and executive recruitment services for premium Danish enterprise mandates.
- Hays Denmark: Global specialist recruitment firm with strong Danish presence. Overlaps directly with HowToWin's executive/specialist recruitment and headhunting services across multiple sectors in the same local market.
- Robert Half Denmark: Global specialist staffing and recruitment firm. Comparable to HowToWin's recruitment business on professional and executive placements, serving similar mid-market and enterprise Danish clients.
Direct peers
- LHH (Lee Hecht Harrison): Career transition, leadership development, and outplacement specialist owned by The Adecco Group. Closest direct peer in scope: outplacement, career coaching, executive outplacement, and organizational consulting — the same bundled offering HowToWin sells to Danish corporates.
- Right Management (ManpowerGroup): Global outplacement and career transition services arm of ManpowerGroup. Directly comparable to HowToWin's outplacement business (individual, executive, and group programs) and career counseling services, with overlapping methodology of personalized career coaching and proprietary assessment tools.
- Mercuri Urval: Nordic-origin global executive search and talent advisory firm. Comparable to HowToWin in executive search, leadership assessment, and consulting focus, with similar cultural-fit methodology and Nordic client base — a natural head-to-head on Danish mandates.
Regional players
- Performia Scandinavia: Nordic recruitment firm headquartered in Sweden. Comparable to HowToWin on recruitment and selection services within the Nordic region, providing a like-for-like competitor on cross-border mandates involving Denmark.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HowToWin social profiles
Digital presenceHowToWin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HowToWin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
HowToWin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HowToWin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HowToWin
What does HowToWin do?
HowToWin is a Danish consulting firm that delivers management consulting, executive recruitment with a 2-year placement guarantee, outplacement services, career counseling, and board development services. The firm helps companies, leaders, and employees develop optimally through a holistic approach spanning the employee lifecycle, with a stated philosophy of 'management with people at the center.'
Is HowToWin a public or private company?
HowToWin is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was HowToWin founded?
HowToWin was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HowToWin based?
HowToWin is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does HowToWin make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Recruitment & Headhunting Services are the primary driver. The others are outplacement Services, career Counseling, consulting Services and board Services.
Who are HowToWin's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Randstad Denmark, Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Hays Denmark and Robert Half Denmark. Direct peers are LHH (Lee Hecht Harrison), Right Management (ManpowerGroup) and Mercuri Urval. Performia Scandinavia is listed as a regional player.
Does HowToWin have an API?
No public API is recorded for HowToWin.
What industry is HowToWin in?
HowToWin's product category is HR and Management Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAOAA, Individual Outplacement & Career Coaching, with a secondary code of BPACAOAB, Group Outplacement Programs (Employer-Sponsored). Its NAICS code is 541612 and its SIC code is 8742.