Berchtold

What Berchtold does

Berchtold GmbH is a Cologne-based, family-owned management consulting firm specializing in change management, organizational and personnel development, and corporate health management (BGM+). The firm is led by three members of the Berchtold family — Elisabeth (Strategy & Change), Julian (Change & Steuerung), and Philipp (Digitalisierung & Future Work) — and operates with a lean core team supplemented by a curated network of more than 40 affiliated freelance consultants and trainers. Its practice is rooted in a systemic, solution-focused consulting methodology, with proprietary frameworks such as the "Cultural Transformation in 3 Learning Sprints" model, the CHM+ corporate health management program (delivered jointly with Diakonie Südwestfalen), and the B.next packaged-product sub-brand for digital, cultural, and agile transformation topics (bnext.cologne).

The firm's client base is concentrated in German-speaking enterprise and public-sector buyers, including Deutsche Telekom, Bundeskriminalamt, Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund, Ford AG, Krombacher Brauerei, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, TARGO Versicherung, Die Techniker, Sparkasse, and GKV-Spitzenverband, with international engagements in Switzerland (AGRIDEA, FHS St. Gallen, Inforama), France (BuyIn SA/NV), Belgium (through DRV relationships), and Australia (NGO project). Berchtold monetizes primarily through bespoke, project-based consulting engagements (multi-year transformation programs, leadership excellence cohorts, cross-mentoring, executive coaching, corporate health programs) supplemented by paid event formats (Expertenforum Future Work, Round Table Ethik, Master Classes) and, more recently, standardized productized offerings via B.next that can be booked online.

Revenue is relationship-driven, with no publicly disclosed pricing; sales cycles are consultative and typically originate through referrals, expert forums, or competitive tenders such as the European-wide BG BAU "Neue Wege der Prävention" award. Marketing is anchored in thought leadership, expert events, newsletters, academic publishing (NEUROLOGIE & REHABILITATION, 2026), and the FHS St. Gallen lectureship held by Elisabeth Berchtold, while distribution combines direct enterprise sales with the self-serve B.next channel and a partner/reseller channel through the Diakonie Südwestfalen CHM+ partnership.

Name

Berchtold

Legal name

Berchtold GmbH

Website

https://berchtold-consulting.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berchtold GmbH is a Cologne-based, family-owned consulting firm providing systemic change management, organizational and HR development, and corporate health management to German-speaking enterprise and public-sector clients, delivered by a lean core team plus a 40-plus consultant network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management & Transformation (Org/HR) (BPACAJAD), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Change management consulting
• Organizational development
• HR development services
• Corporate health management
• Transformation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Bespoke consulting engagements across change management, organizational development, HR development, and health management. Projects are typically scoped and priced per engagement, ranging from individual coaching sessions to multi-year transformation programmes. Revenue is project-based and relationship-driven.
2. Training & Development Programmes: Modular leadership, talent management, and skills programmes delivered as workshops, coaching, or blended formats. Examples include Leadership Excellence programmes, cross-mentoring, talent development cohorts, and inter-cultural leadership programmes.
3. Events & Expert Forums: Revenue-generating workshops, master classes, expert forums, and round table series. Events are offered as in-house or public formats (e.g., Expertenforum Future Work, Master Class on generational leadership, Round Table Ethik).
4. B.next Packaged Products: Standardized, digitally bookable consulting products sold through the B.next platform (bnext.cologne). Examples include 'Hybride Teams' workshops. These products represent a move toward scalable, productized revenue streams alongside bespoke consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Berchtold GmbH delivers B2B consulting services across change management, organisational and personnel development, HR software, and corporate health management. Its practice covers cultural transformation, leadership development, talent management, conflict mediation, and the CHM+ corporate health programme, supplemented by B.next — a sub-brand of pre-packaged, digitally bookable transformation products such as 'Hybride Teams'. Engagements are systemic, solution-focused, and delivered through a family-led core team plus a network of 40+ affiliated consultants.

Product overview

Berchtold Consulting is a strategic and relationship-oriented organizational and HR development consultancy offering a portfolio of integrated services. The core offering spans three main practice areas: Change Management (culture, leadership, control, methods), HR Development (management tools, diagnostics, HR software), and Health Management (prevention, leadership health functions, BGM+). The company operates B.next as a sub-brand for modular transformation products like HYBRIDE TEAMS. Additional offerings include Berchtold-Event for experiential team building, Leadership Excellence Programs, and systemic consulting training. The portfolio is delivered by a network of experienced consultants with diverse specializations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Change Management Consulting Systemic change management consulting encompassing culture, leadership, steering/control, and methods to guide organisations through transformation processes. Targeted at large enterprises, public sector bodies, and international organisations undertaking complex change initiatives.
• HR Development / Personalentwicklung Comprehensive HR development services spanning HR steering/control, instruments, diagnostics, and HR software implementation. Delivered to enterprise and public-sector clients seeking to professionalise their HR function and talent development.
• Corporate Health Management / BGM+ Corporate health management services covering prevention, health as a leadership function, and the BGM+ programme for healthy organisations. Targeted at enterprises seeking to integrate employee wellbeing with leadership and organisational development.
• B.next Sub-Brand (Packaged Transformation Products) A sub-brand launched by Berchtold offering pre-packaged, instantly bookable consulting products for digital transformation, cultural transformation, and agile transformation. Distributed via the bnext.cologne online platform and targeted at enterprises seeking modular, standardised consulting offerings.
• CHM+ (Corporate Health Management Plus) A joint corporate health management programme delivered with Diakonie Südwestfalen, providing hotline/helpline services, executive coaching, health circles, and organisational resilience diagnostics. Currently serves 15,000+ employees across more than a dozen companies and is targeted at enterprises seeking integrated behavioural and structural health prevention.
• Leadership Excellence Programs Executive leadership development programmes for top talent, including coaching, cross-mentoring, and strategic talent management modules. Targeted at enterprises investing in leadership pipelines and senior leadership development.
• Master Class Generationsübergreifende Führung A 2-day in-house or online master class on cross-generational leadership, addressing the challenges of generational diversity in the workplace. Targeted at executives and HR teams seeking practical methods for managing multi-generational workforces.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ employees successfully transitioned in a single multi-site telecommunications transformation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BMAS (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Berchtold participates in the rehapro initiative funded by the Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS), working on the BETA-MeH model project focused on improving return-to-work outcomes for people with acquired brain damage. Berchtold's contribution was published in the NEUROLOGIE & REHABILITATION journal as part of this initiative.
• DRV Bund (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Berchtold was commissioned by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) Bund to provide project steering and management for the BETA-MeH (Bedarfsfokussierte Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben für Menschen mit erworbenen Hirnschädigungen) model project under the BMAS rehapro programme. Project duration: August 2022 – October 2026. Berchtold is responsible for project management, stakeholder coordination, and the development of an RTW (Return to Work) network.
• Claros-Salinas/Schupp/Thomas GbRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 August 2022Scientific expertise partner within the BETA-MeH model project, providing subject matter expertise alongside Berchtold's project management and steering services.
• ITA - Institut für Technologie und Arbeit e.V.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 August 2022Responsible for the scientific monitoring and evaluation of the BETA-MeH model project. Berchtold works alongside ITA to ensure evidence-based project delivery in rehabilitation innovation.
• Diakonie SüdwestfalencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakonie Südwestfalen and Berchtold Consulting jointly deliver the CHM+ (Corporate Health Management Plus) programme — a comprehensive corporate health management offering combining Berchtold's organizational development expertise with Diakonie's social welfare capabilities. The programme provides hotlines, executive health coaching, health circles, and organizational resilience diagnostics. It currently serves more than a dozen companies representing approximately 15,000 employees.
• BG BAU (Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerchtold successfully won a European-wide competitive tender for BG BAU's 'Neue Wege der Prävention' programme, which aims to develop innovative prevention concepts and ideas for reducing accident rates in the construction industry. Berchtold leads a consortium with Fraunhofer and Interlutions/Jungmut to deliver the programme.
• Fraunhofer GesellschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the BG BAU 'Neue Wege der Prävention' consortium, contributing research and development capabilities to the joint prevention programme alongside Berchtold.
• Interlutions / JungmutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative and digital partner in the BG BAU 'Neue Wege der Prävention' consortium, contributing innovation and creative methodology to the joint prevention programme.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• OE Cam (Organizational Effectiveness Cambridge): International change management and organizational development consultancy. Comparable in offering systemic change, leadership, and transformation programmes using similar solution-focused and systemic methodologies.

Direct peers

• hkp group: German HR consulting firm focused on executive compensation, performance management, and HR transformation. Comparable in serving DAX clients with bespoke HR advisory and change projects across German-speaking markets.
• Schickler Unternehmensberatung: German management consultancy serving media and digital industries. Comparable as a mid-sized, owner-operated German consulting firm delivering bespoke transformation and organizational advisory to enterprise clients.
• EPOS (Catapult): European change management and organizational transformation consultancy. Comparable in delivering systemic change, leadership, and HR development programmes to enterprise clients, with overlapping methodology and DACH presence.
• Kienbaum Management Consultants: One of Germany's leading HR and management consulting firms. Direct comparable — founder Elisabeth Berchtold previously worked at Kienbaum, and the firm operates in overlapping change management, leadership development, and HR consulting segments for German enterprise and public-sector clients.
• Metaplan: German organizational consulting firm specializing in strategy, organizational development, and change processes. Highly comparable methodology and client base — both deliver systemic, facilitation-led transformation engagements to large German enterprises and institutions.
• Result Group: German consulting firm specializing in HR transformation, leadership development, and organizational change. Direct peer in segment — both deliver similar programme-based consulting for German enterprises and public-sector organizations.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with deep HR, leadership, and talent advisory practices. Overlaps with Berchtold's leadership excellence and HR development offerings but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Mercer (Marsh & McLennan): Global HR and health consulting powerhouse. Particularly relevant comparator for Berchtold's CHM+ corporate health management line, which competes against Mercer's broader wellbeing and health benefits advisory portfolio.
• BTS Group: Global consulting firm specializing in leadership development, sales transformation, and change execution. Comparable offering category with broader geographic reach and more standardized programme delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berchtold-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Berchtold