Fabian Kienbaum appears for an interview via video call in front of his large wall of books, an office straight out of a catalog. A consultant, you might think. But in fact, Kienbaum Consultants is not a typical consulting firm, but one of the few family-run consulting firms in Germany. Fabian Kienbaum is the third generation to run the company, taking over from his father Jochen in 2017. Since then, the 38-year-old has shaken up the company, preached New Work, invested in start-ups and brought a female co-head on board.

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Mr. Kienbaum, what have you done recently?

A new, proper bike. I live in Cologne, so for me it's a healthy addition to the e-car and train. And it works quite well even in car-loving Cologne. You experience the city in a completely different way.

Cycling through Cologne: sounds very down-to-earth. Was it always like that for you? Or were you molded into a corporate crown prince right from the start?

Not at all. My siblings and I grew up in a very liberal environment. We were allowed to ask lots of questions about the company, but the topic was not prevalent in my childhood. And we were all allowed to choose what we wanted to do. I am now the only one who has ended up in the family business.

But it didn't look like that for you at first. You once tried your hand at professional handball. Why that of all things?

I grew up in Gummersbach. Handball played a big role there. Half the kids played, the other half didn't. I wanted to be part of the first group. After leaving school, I made the leap into the professional squad at VfL Gummersbach - and naturally wanted to establish myself there.

But you have decided against it.

I wanted certain things that would not have been compatible with a professional career. I wanted to study and then go abroad during my studies. So I decided to leave professional sport behind. And whether it would really have worked out with the Premier League is written in the stars.

What happened next?

I already had an interest in business, so I studied business administration and international management. But first I went to another consultancy, Hackett, an American Big 4 spin-off. I gained my first experience there before moving to Kienbaum.

Was it more of a help or a burden to have to follow in your father's footsteps?

I have always considered it a privilege to be able to join the family business. But I also believe that we managed it quite well. We gave ourselves five years for the transition, at the end of which I was supposed to take over the management. I then initially pushed ahead with topics such as the digitalization of our business and looked into the question of how we could advance the transformation of our company as a whole. My father and I then cultivated a co-model in the last year of the transition period before I finally took over.

That sounds like a smooth process. Was it really that easy?

Overall, it went as we had hoped. But the truth is that I also wanted to do some things differently. I always communicated this clearly during the transition period. As a result, some people left the company who didn't want to go down this new path. But I am convinced that we have always acted fairly and transparently.

What things did you want to do differently?

I wanted to reposition our culture, which implied many things, such as a new brand image, because I am convinced that a healthy and performance-oriented corporate culture represents a competitive advantage. We speak of an "individualized community", based on an ordoliberal view of society. This went hand in hand with the personnel changes I mentioned. At the same time, we have opened up new sectors.

In what way?

Of course, family businesses, medium-sized companies and corporations are still part of the group, but now start-ups are also among our customers, or more precisely: "grown-ups".

Is working with start-ups different from working with long-established companies?

In essence, no, because ultimately all organizations are about turning potential into progress. Start-ups may be faster in terms of implementation, but established companies are more likely to have long-term business relationships.

You also invest in start-ups with Highland Pine Investment, a subsidiary of Kienbaum. What do you expect to gain from this?

We usually invest early, i.e. in the seed or pre-seed rounds. And we invest exclusively in HR tech. In this way, we look at solutions and products that expand our business model and can therefore represent added value for our customers. On the other hand, we try to provide start-ups with sales access.

Did you have to do a lot of convincing for this project?

At the very beginning, more than five years ago, there was some resistance, but thanks to the implementation of joint formats, we have achieved a lot in terms of acceptance and positioning. Then it also helps when an exit occurs, even if that is not our primary goal.

Last year, you brought Bibi Hahn on board as Co-CEO - the first one not to come from the family. Is this a model that you would also recommend to your customers?

I don't think there is a blueprint for shared leadership approaches, regardless of the constellation. But what undoubtedly always helps is someone who takes a fresh look at the company. Either with operational responsibility or, as in a Swiss model for example, from the Board of Directors

Keyword Family: Should Kienbaum Consultants remain a family-run company in the future?

In any case, the fourth generation already exists. But we don't necessarily have to remain family-run; family-controlled is also an option. We would also be open to strategic partners in the future if this makes sense. Consulting thrives on dynamism.

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Thank you very much for the interview.

Personal details: Fabian Kienbaum, 38, is CEO of Kienbaum Consultants International. The company, founded in 1945 by his grandfather Gerhard, now employs 730 people in 21 countries. After leaving school, Fabian Kienbaum played handball for VfL Gummersbach before studying business administration and international management in Cologne and Paris. After a stint at Hackett Consulting, he has been managing the family-owned company since 2017.

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