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Ralf Dreischmeier

Senior PartnerLondon

Helps companies build businesses that use digital strategies to achieve transformation and establish more nimble and agile ways of working

Ralf is a leader of McKinsey Digital. With more than 25 years of experience in offering business- and technology-advisory support, he understands technology-enabled transformation and the development of businesses that thrive. He works closely with executives to develop transformation strategies and take sweeping steps to build digital businesses. He has pursued this goal repeatedly with global banks, international insurers, and leading companies in the media, telecommunications, and technology sectors.

To build businesses and deliver end-to-end digital and data transformations, Ralf works to inspire organizational change. He believes that while designing future digital and data-architecture blueprints is important, it is equally important to change the way a company works across the whole organization. Ralf’s projects typically include setting up digital and data academies to build skills and establishing programs and initiatives to guide implementation. Throughout the journey, he advises senior-executive teams and seeks to function as the glue that brings business and technology together.

Recently, Ralf supported a business-services organization in building two new digital businesses—both cornerstones for an overall transformation. Partnering with the organization’s top leadership, he helped it deliver the build-out in an agile way. He also worked with the CEO and board of a UK-based financial-services company to shape a vision for a digital future, create a transformation blueprint for it, and help implement the plan. The result made the company a digital leader in the sector and will help it shape the industry.

Formerly the global leader of a consulting firm’s technology and digital group, Ralf is a keen observer of technology trends and a prolific author and guest speaker. In recent years, he has been a featured speaker at ForbesLive and has served on panels sponsored by the Economist. He is fluent in English and German.

Videos 

The second wave of digital transformation and what it means for CIOs,” ForbesLive, May 2017

The data inside,” Economist, June 2013 

Published work

A practical guide to new-business building for incumbents,” McKinsey & Company, June 2023

The health benefits and business potential of digital therapeutics,” McKinsey & Company, January 2023

Business building: The path to resilience in uncertain times,” McKinsey & Company, December 2022

New-business building in 2022: Driving growth in volatile times,” McKinsey & Company, November 2022

How medtech companies can create value with new-business building,” McKinsey & Company, January 2022

How good are you at business building? A new way to score your ability to scale new ventures,” McKinsey & Company, November 2021

How to launch a new business: Three approaches that work,” McKinsey & Company, April 2021

Why business building is the new priority for growth,” McKinsey Quarterly, December 2020

Derisking corporate business launches: Five steps to overcome the most common pitfalls,” McKinsey & Company, October 2020

The big boost: How incumbents successfully scale their new businesses,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

Innovating from necessity: The business-building imperative in the current crisis,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020

Building an e-commerce business: Lessons on moving fast,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020

Building new businesses: How incumbents use their advantages to accelerate growth,” McKinsey & Company, December 2019

Past experience

Boston Consulting
Global leader, technology advantage

PwC
Manager

Accenture
Consultant

Education

University of Münster
MBA, economics and business administration