- About Roland Berger
- What distinguishes Roland Berger?
- Why Work at Roland Berger?
- Benefits
- Career Growth
- Compensation
- Employees Experience
- Events and Activities at Roland Berger
- Awards
- Notable Alumni
- Other Resources
- What is Roland Berger looking for?
- Getting Hired at Roland Berger
- Interview Questions
- Reviews
- Conclusion
About Roland Berger
In 1967, Roland Berger founded the company based on the European ideals of diversity, inclusivity, and open exchange. Today, the firm is listed among the top management consulting firms and has successfully positioned itself among the likes of McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.
History
Roland Berger – Founder of Roland Berger
Source: Roland Berger official website
Starting in Munich, Roland Berger was initially a marketing-focused consulting firm. Later, it pivoted itself as a strategy consulting firm and developed its expertise beyond Germany. In 1969, it expanded to Milan, in 1976 to Sao Paulo, and by the early 1990s to the Asian markets.
Like Kearney, Roland Berger also faced several close calls, beginning with a 2010 bid by Deloitte Consulting. However ‘the deal reportedly broke down due to a last minute intervention from founder Roland Berger, the honorary chairman of the supervisory board’ until 2020 ‘who pumped a further €80 million in investment into the firm to retain independence’ (Source – Consultancy.uk).
Today, with headquarters in Germany, Roland Berger is one of the few European consultancy firms with a strong international footprint.
Growth of Roland Berger
Source: Consultancy.uk
| Website | https://www.rolandberger.com/en/ |
| Founder’s Name | Roland Berger |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Country/Territory | Europe, Africa & Middle East, Asia and North & South America |
| Headquarters | Munich |
| Type | Management consultancy |
| Locations | 50 offices |
| CEO | 3 Global Managing Directors:
|
| Number of Employees | 2,400 (as of 2021) |
| Revenue | EUR 600 million (as of 2018) |
| Consulting Services | Management and Strategy |
| Industries |
|
| Areas of Expertise | Business Functions
|
| Social Media |
Roland Berger’s mission is to “assist organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs in reimagining their reality and shifting the world toward a new sustainable paradigm.
Roland Berger believes in three fundamental values: entrepreneurship, excellence, and empathy. These values constitute the foundation of their work as consultants, interaction with clients, business partners, and communities at large.
Entrepreneurship
It encourages employees to take responsibility for business decisions early on in their careers and help clients find innovative and sustainable solutions.
Excellence
Roland Berger’s goal is excellence in the work they perform for their clients, in the way they develop their knowledge, and in their interaction with stakeholders – externally and internally.
Empathy
Roland Berger believes in offering a unique combination of intellectual and emotional competence to meet their clients’ aims and needs. They believe in acting as partners alongside their clients and focus on understanding the real problem, offering peer-to-peer advice and tailored approaches.
10 Commitments
The following 10 commitments shape everything that Roland Berger does. They constantly try to live up to these guiding principles.
- Client-First – The firm tries to provide the best to their clients and tries to meet the clients’ expectations whenever possible. The firm’s focus is on understanding the real problem and offering customized solutions
- Innovative – The firm’s DNA urges them to find innovative solutions to help their clients be game changers in their environment.
- Fact-Based – The firm believes in an analytical and fact-based approach to its conclusions, findings, and recommendations.
- Collaborative – The firm believes in a collaborative approach to targeting the task at hand and banishes the idea of an ‘I, me and myself’ culture.
- Relevant – The firm believes in staying relevant to their clients by deepening their understanding of clients’ industries, and functional know-how, building their expertise and supporting and anticipating clients’ needs.
- Developing – The firm is committed to actively supporting the personal and professional development of all employees while striving to attract and retain the best talent.
- Leading – The firm believes in leading by example to cultivate a passion for professionalism, predilection for having dreams, and ambition to realize them.
- Respectful – As a diverse community, Roland Berger believes in diversity as a strength.
- Ethical – The firm is committed to absolute tolerance and respect for human dignity in whatever and wherever they work.
- Proud – The firm takes pride in its achievements and creates an environment whereby people appreciate and enable each other to achieve excellence.
10 Commitments of Roland Berger
Source: Glassdoor
What distinguishes Roland Berger?
Apart from the above-listed commitments and values, the sustainability commitment of Roland Berger is one thing that sets it apart from other consulting firms.
Sustainability commitment
The firm has set ambitious goals of achieving net zero emissions by 2028. In order to ensure this target, Roland Berger has committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Think act magazine
Roland Berger’s award-winning Think: Act Magazine chronicles the big shifts happening in the world and their impact on organizations, identifies current and upcoming trends in business and offers a deep dive into the latest management ideas.
It does this through thought-provoking articles and exclusive interviews with thought leaders and the movers and shakers of the world of business. As per Roland Berger, ‘it was one of the first magazines to be inducted into the “BCM Hall of Fame” after it had won Europe’s biggest content marketing award three years in a row’.
First published in 2004, Think: Act today has reached a subscription for 30,000 senior executives and decision-makers in the fields of business, politics, and media around the world. It is published in English, German and Chinese.
10 Commitments of Roland Berger
Source: Glassdoor
Why work at Rolandberger?
79% of employees at Roland Berger say it is a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.
98%
People here are given a lot of responsibility.
96%
Our customers would rate the service we deliver as ‘excellent’.
95%
People here are willing to give extra to get the job done.
94%
Management is honest and ethical in its business practices.
93%
Management is competent at running the business.
Source: Great Place to Work
No two days at Roland Berger are the same. For instance, the following will describe how the first 100 days of a recently onboarded candidate will look like.
Kick-off training
Roland Berger organizes a Kickoff Training several times a year. New colleagues from offices worldwide spend two weeks preparing for their new responsibilities. They attend workshops, lectures, case studies, and do team exercises. During this training process, the new colleagues develop friendships across the firm’s network.
Kick-off training week
Source: Glassdoor
First project
The firm believes in training its new employees on the job. They will provide all the necessary information on the projects and client details to get them started.
New life
Depending on the office location, four days a week are typically spent in different cities, working alongside their clients. Usually, employees report back to their home office on Fridays and touch base with their team back at the firm.
During this phase, the project manager coaches directly on the job, and a partner/principal mentors them periodically.
Training
While the candidate is working on solving client needs, they may need training in refining their presentation skills or resolving conflict.
With access to an ever-developing program of over 50 seminars, featuring leading speakers, respected academics, and the best coaches, the candidates find the solutions to almost everything they are looking for.
Global
With 50 office locations, new hires have the opportunity to work in another country, broaden their horizons and interact within the Roland Berger network. As a firm, it encourages international projects and global assignments to its employees.
MBA program assistance
If a candidate is interested in pursuing an MBA, the firm is there to help them. They will provide assistance in submitting the application, assist financially and provide as much as possible to learn from top MBA schools and return back with fresh ideas, tools and perspectives.
Challenge Club
Roland Berger brings its top talent together in a relaxed, supportive environment to develop leadership skills and partake in top-level training and individual coaching. This club therefore is called the ‘Challenge Club’.
- Maternity & Paternity Leave – The firm offers 2 months’ maternity leave and 1 month’s paternity leave
- Health Insurance – The firm offers a comprehensive health insurance policy for all its employees
- Flexible Working – In the UK office, it is noted that the firm offers flexible working hours for its employees.
- Free Snacks and Meals – At certain offices, free meals or snacks are offered on specific days
- Travel Insurance – The firm’s worldwide travel insurance comes in handy for its employees when they travel overseas or visit clients frequently.
Source: Glassdoor
Note: The benefits listed above vary by location and country due to the rules and regulations of each location.
Employees at the Munich Office of Roland Berger
Source – Glassdoor
| Job Level | Level of Education | Job Description |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Consultant/Consultant | Master’s degree | Profile involves conducting market research, interviews, client workshops, analyzing research findings, and preparing presentations. |
| Senior Consultant | MBA/Masters or Ph.D. | Lead the projects and modules they are responsible for. |
| Project Manager | MBA/Masters or Ph.D. + industry experience | They manage an entire project, with responsibility for the budget, team, and success. |
| Principal | – | Brings a diverse amount of experience and has played a central role in hugely successful projects in the past. A significant portion of the principal’s time is dedicated to major acquisitions. |
| Partner | – | Partner means they are a shareholder – they lead and steer entire areas of expertise. |
Note: (-) indicates data not available
Career trajectory at Roland Berger.
Source: Roland Berger Website
Compensation per Position/Role
| Position | Location (Average Salary/Per Year) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| New York (in $) | London (in £) | Mumbai (in ₹) | |
| Consultant | $48,000 – $52,000 | £59,243 | ₹18L – ₹20L |
| Sr. Consultant | $100,000 – $200,000 | £84,926 | ₹40L – ₹43L |
| Project Manager | – | £119,830 | – |
| Principal | $200,000 – $300,000 | £100,000 – £200,000 | – |
Source: Glassdoor
Note: (-) indicates data not available
MBA Salary at Roland Berger
The below-mentioned salaries are typical for MBA graduates joining at Associate/Manager level
| Location | Base Salary | Bonus | Signing Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | $160,000 | up to $32,000 | $35,000 |
Source:ManagementConsulted 2022 Report
Note:(-) indicates data not available
| Experience Roland Berger (videos) | Be the Original You |
Giving back to the community (for the homeless in this case)
Equality and diversity celebration at Roland Berger
Team bonding and having fun
Pride week celebration
Note: Images are from Great Place to Work and Glassdoor
Diversity and Inclusion
Roland Berger runs a program called EmpowHER to accompany and support women in all phases of their personal and professional development. Within this program, women can take part in events where female consultants report on their own experiences, alongside special events on topics such as self-marketing, presentation skills and case workshops.
Further, to promote diversity in all its facets, Roland Berger has set itself the following three goals:
- To create an environment where all colleagues feel welcome and safe
- To help shape a company that values diversity and champions the acceptance of all employees worldwide, and
- To provide a global network for LGBTQ+ colleagues and promote professional and personal exchange and mentoring within it
Roland Berger has won the following prestigious awards:
- Beacon Award for Business Innovation in 2014 (see picture below)
- Best of Content Marketing Award (BCM Award)
Once you’re a member of the Roland Berger team, that bond is unbreakable. Their alumni network is global. Former consultants are now CEOs and board members, or they have launched successful businesses. After all, they are business owners.
One can socialize and share expertise, foresight, and discoveries through their alumni network, and establish new relationships and ventures.
| Name | Organization | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Oana Bizgan-Gayral | – | Member of Romanian Parliament |
| Wei Zhou | XNode Startup Accelerator & Corporate Innovation | Co Founder and CEO |
| Sebastian Diemer | Wallfair | Founder and CEO |
| Andrea Dusi | Impactscool | Co Founder and President |
| Mahesh Lunani | Aquasight LLC | Founder and CEO |
Source: Crunchbase, Management Consulted
Alumni Portal
Roland Berger has developed an alumni portal whereby an alumnus can register themselves and enjoy the following benefits:
- Alumni Directory – Whereby they can connect with their old friends and form new partnerships or alliances
- Job Portal – Whereby Roland Berger consultants and alumni who are planning their next career steps can connect with the network and look for new job postings
- Alumni Event – Whereby events, dinners, industry workshops are organized to help alumni network
The firm is looking for the following traits in its potential candidates:
- Candidates who think big and see connections where others don’t.
- Candidates who are grounded enough to not be blinded by style over substance.
- Candidates who have a sense of ownership
- Candidates who have good communication, observation, and listening skills.
- Candidates who are experts/leaders in their field
- Candidates who have the vision and pathway to influence and transform a client’s fortune for the better and
- Candidates who believe in diversity – of situation, individuals, and client’s problems.
Getting hired at Roland Berger
Application process
For any position applied for Roland Berger, the application should include the following:
- Detailed resume
- A cover letter explaining why you would like to join the firm and how you are a perfect fit to the role applied.
- For some offices, academic transcripts and references also form a part of application submission.
The application can be submitted for a specific profile or even a general position without having to worry about any fixed advertisement or opening notifications in general.
The firm takes about 3 weeks to review the application and respond back to the candidate. Overall, in about 6 to 8 weeks, the whole process is completed, if the candidate has cleared all the levels.
The firm advises candidates to start applying 4-6 months before their expected start date.
Interview type
After clearing the initial shortlisting round, interviews are often held with the candidates to understand their professional and personal goals and ambitions.
During the interview, real-life consultancy practice case studies will be discussed and candidates will be requested to solve one. The firm is interested in understanding the candidate’s personality, how they work with tasks, and understanding their reasoning.
Important tips
As mentioned subsequently, the case study may include a market size question. Hence, the firm recommends the candidates practice some before appearing for the interview day.
In such questions, it is understood that the real market size of a particular commodity may not be correctly obtained but the firm is interested in understanding the candidate’s approach and how they demonstrate their common sense.
The interviewers will also help the candidate when needed but it’s important to accept their advice when provided. They do not expect the candidate to know everything and hence they expect candidates to ask questions when in doubt. Often details of the case study are deliberately left out of the statement provided to evaluate the candidate’s potential.
Finally, communicating to the interviewer his/her working style and perspective helps them understand the case study better.
Some of the interview questions that were posed to the candidate recently are as follows:
For the Consultant Role
- Walk me through your CV
- How would you think about improving revenue streams for the client?
- Why Roland Berger?
- Why Roland Berger over competitors?
- Why consulting?
- Why do you want to be in this industry?
- Can you describe a time you demonstrated the ability to overcome a problem in a team setting?
- How do you add certain things into your P&L?
- How do you work in a team/deal with difficulties in a team?
- Can you estimate the market size of a juice vendor?
- How much paint would you need to paint an entire fleet of aircraft?
- Do a CBA of smoking in the UK.
- Estimate the market for winter jackets in Sweden.
- Imagine you won 100 million euros. What would you do with the money?
- What is the song that best describes you?
- What do you think of Roland Berger compared to Bain? Compared to McKinsey? What is our strategic position in the region?
For the Senior Consultant Role
- Walk me through your resume.
- Give an example of a time when you led a team.
- Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem.
- Describe a situation when you disagreed with someone.
- A bank is suffering from falling profit and market share – what would you advise the CEO to do?
- Why Roland Berger?
- Why consulting and this location?
- Why do you want to leave your company?
- How many mattresses are there in a city?
Roland Berger Munich Office
Source: Glassdoor
Work-Life Balance
Positive
- Generally interesting projects, smart colleagues
- Good exit opportunities in France/Europe
- Global firm: possibility to work in cooperation with other offices (Singapore, China, France, etc
- Very nice people and good working atmosphere
Negative
- Heavy workload with extensive working hours
- Long hours (like in any consulting firm)
Pay and Benefits
Positive
- Good pay, give high authority, good healthcare package
- Much to learn with a well diversified team. Great salary and good growth.
Negative
- Pay is not as high as expected in top-tier strategy consulting firms.
Job Security and Advancement
Positive
- If you just want quick advancement up the ranks, irrespective of project topics or expertise, this is a great place. However, the organization does not really support participating and learning from different areas.
- Consultants offer advice and expertise to organizations to help them improve their business performance in terms of operations, profitability, management, structure and strategy.
Management
Positive
- I appreciate it very much that they provided me the platform where I can contribute my leadership and management skills.
Culture
Positive
- A fast-paced work life where you work with clients. Much to learn with a well diversified team. Great salary and good growth. But as in general for a consulting firm, you need to put in a lot of hours.
Negative
- Hard, demanding work, long working hours, but high appreciation for the work done at the same time.
Conclusion
Roland Berger is the only European heritage management consultancy with a strong international presence. The firm operates 50 offices in all major markets as an independent firm solely owned by its partners. Roland Berger 2400 employees provide a one-of-a-kind blend of an analytical mindset and an empathic attitude.
Roland Berger believes that the world requires a new sustainable paradigm that considers the entire value cycle, driven by its values of entrepreneurship, excellence, and empathy. Working in cross-industry and cross-functional teams across all relevant industries and business functions, the firm provides the best expertise to meet the most profound challenges of the present and future.