Despite difficult market conditions, the strategy, management and IT consultancy zeb, which specializes in financial services, is optimistic about the future. There is great confidence that it will continue to develop its consulting business with banks, insurers and other service providers in the industry in the current financial year 2022. The management consultancy, founded and headquartered in Münster, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. According to its latest announcement, the company has consistently focused on the topics of digitalization, sustainability (ESG), transformation and regulatory affairs in recent years, and has thus systematically driven forward its further development in consulting fields of the future – always in close coordination with clients, cooperation partners and regulatory authorities. At the same time, zeb has strengthened and expanded its position as the only major consulting firm in Europe specializing exclusively in the finance and insurance industry.

Dr. Markus Thiesmeyer, Managing Director of zeb, says, “Since 1992, zeb has continuously developed. We have been able to provide our clients with support, orientation and perspectives in both difficult and good times. And in the opinion of many experts and market observers, we have repeatedly and impressively confirmed and lived up to our claim of being a partner for change and a pacesetter for the future viability of the finance and insurance industry. A big thank-you for 30 years of zeb goes to our large base of loyal clients, the many long-serving employees at our offices in Europe and the group of Partners. Together, we will continue our successful course in the future.”

Managing Director Dr. Markus Thiesmeyer has been with the company since 1995 and has been a Partner at zeb since 2022. He took over the top leadership position from Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirmße at the beginning of last year and is backed by a five-strong management team. The strategy and management consultancy’s group of Partners currently comprises 61 members. With its traditional focus on strategy, IT and transformation consulting, the company intends to grow not only in its core markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Step by step, zeb has internationalized its consulting profile and expertise in recent years. Outside of Germany, it operates offices in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Kiev, London, Luxembourg, Milan, Oslo, Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich. In Germany, zeb offices are located in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Münster (HQ).

Turnover increased in financial year 2021 – positive outlook for 2022

Against this background, zeb was able to confirm the sustained growth path of the past years with solid performance figures in the past financial year. For 2021, the transformation and digitalization expert for the financial industry reports an increase in turnover to approximately EUR 192 million. “Our growth bucked the trend in 2020, and we managed to repeat that growth in double digits in 2021.” zeb expects this positive development to continue in the current financial year 2022, too. Despite considerable uncertainties in the markets, the partnership-based management consultancy is currently planning double-digit turnover growth.

200 new hires planned for 2022

For zeb, its 1,000 employees are a major focus of attention. For instance, the ESG and regulatory expert for the financial industry ensures a high qualification profile of its employees via a comprehensive set of measures and its own university (zeb Business School at Steinbeis University Berlin). In addition, more than 200 young professionals will be recruited this year through various channels and integrated into the various consulting teams with comprehensive qualification measures. As a rule, these are young personalities still at university when making a conscious decision to join zeb as the leading specialist in the financial sector.

Innovation hub of the financial industry

Over the last few years, zeb has consistently expanded its IT and digitalization expertise. For example, the company set up its own science and best practice labs for the industry at two locations in Germany, where new ideas are developed and implemented in close exchange with clients. All of zeb’s “start-up activities” are bundled in zeb.connect. Clients find themselves being forced – not only by Coronavirus – to transform their business models. In addition to numerous issues concerning the business model, the focus is on transforming leadership, collaboration and personal skills. “A field in which we have grown strongly in the last two years and have successfully positioned ourselves with the zeb brand, among other things.” Technological transformation leads to new cloud solutions, questions about digital assets or new UX topics. The integration of IT and business model expertise forms the basis of zeb’s success. As an industry pacesetter in the field of sustainability, the consultancy also has many years of proven expertise in the ESG segment. An in-house research department with 30 employees provides the necessary scientific basis.

Thiesmeyer summarizes the current situation as follows: “The financial industry faces huge challenges due to high volatility, uncertainty and increasing complexity. With efficient management and IT, it must not only manage its own transformation toward sustainable portfolios, but also offer its customers perspectives and guidance regarding their ESG agenda. Be it in the area of finance, green, digital or corporate transformation – in this field as in others, we support the financial industry in systematically building profitable business segments and consistently optimizing existing business models.”