Roland Berger’s €1B Milestone Signals a Consulting Industry Pivot

DUBAI, UAE – June 18, 2026 – In a year when clients scrutinized every expenditure, Roland Berger, the only leading global consultancy of European origin, announced it had its strongest financial year in history. The firm crossed the billion-euro threshold, posting revenues of €1.01 billion for 2025. While any record is noteworthy, this one is a particularly strong growth signal, arriving not during a boom, but in what the firm’s own leadership called a “more demanding” global market.

This achievement is more than a financial headline; it’s a case study in strategic adaptation. As businesses worldwide shifted their focus from broad strategic planning to tangible efficiency gains and measurable outcomes, Roland Berger appears to have successfully navigated this pivot. The firm's record performance, coupled with its 20th anniversary in the Middle East and significant investments in future capabilities like Artificial Intelligence, reveals a blueprint for resilience that redefines the role of a top-tier consultancy in a rapidly changing economic landscape.

Navigating a Demanding Global Market

Roland Berger’s 3.9% year-on-year growth in 2025 stands out in a global consulting market that, while growing, became increasingly fragmented and challenging. While the overall market was valued at over $350 billion, clients were no longer issuing blank checks for advisory services. The dominant trend was a demand for transformation-based value and demonstrable business outcomes. In this environment, the Munich-headquartered firm found traction through a combination of geographic focus, strategic expansion, and a clear-eyed view of its core differentiators.

Growth was not uniform, with Asia posting a remarkable 19% increase and the Americas growing by 11%, signaling successful penetration in high-growth regions. The firm also bolstered its global footprint by opening a new office in Sydney, Australia—giving it a presence on every continent—and a fifth U.S. office in Houston to tap into the energy sector. More telling were its targeted acquisitions: the firm absorbed Ralf Schmitz CRO Management to deepen its restructuring capabilities and a specialized battery-focused team from ALEXEC Consulting, signaling a clear strategy to own high-demand niches. These moves indicate a disciplined approach to growth, focusing on acquiring specific expertise rather than scale for its own sake.

According to the firm’s Global Managing Partner, Stefan Schaible, trust and independence have become “true differentiating factors” in this climate, suggesting that its European roots and partnership model offer a “clear competitive advantage.” In a market where mega-firms and tech giants are all competing for transformation projects, Roland Berger is betting that its blend of deep industry knowledge and perceived independence resonates with clients seeking a dedicated transformation partner.

Two Decades of Transformation in the Middle East

Nowhere is the firm’s strategy of deep integration more apparent than in the Middle East, where it is celebrating two decades of continuous operation. Since opening its first office in Bahrain in 2006, the consultancy has established a robust presence across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, embedding itself within one of the world's most dynamic and rapidly transforming economic regions. This anniversary is not merely a corporate milestone; it’s a testament to a long-term commitment that is now paying significant dividends.

The GCC consulting market, which grew to $7.4 billion in 2024 and was forecast for double-digit growth in 2025, is a magnet for global firms. But longevity provides an advantage. Roland Berger’s press release highlights its evolution from a strategic advisor to an “execution partner.” This is a critical distinction. The firm reports working with public and private sector clients to establish and scale entire industrial ecosystems, joint ventures, and new companies—moving far beyond the traditional remit of delivering recommendations.

Specific engagements point to the depth of this partnership. In urban development, the firm has advised government entities on creating governance models for some of the region's giga-projects, ensuring these ambitious visions are both investable and operationally sound. In the Aerospace & Defense sector, it has advised on portfolio diversification and the development of indigenous defense capacity, directly supporting the region’s strategic goals of building sovereign industrial capabilities. This is nation-building, not just business consulting.

“The market environment has changed significantly over the past few years, requiring all consulting firms to adapt,” said Santiago Castillo, Managing Director Middle East at Roland Berger. “Our response has been to strengthen the resilience of our business and ensure we remain closely aligned with the evolving needs of our clients. As we mark 20 years in the Middle East, our commitment to the region remains unchanged.”

From Advice to Action: The Pivot to AI and Execution

The most powerful signal of Roland Berger’s forward momentum is its strategic pivot towards execution, underpinned by a significant investment in technology. The firm’s “adapted strategy” for 2025, which sharpened its focus on digital transformation, performance improvement, and transactions, is a direct response to a market that values doing over advising.

Central to this pivot is its investment in CNTR, a new AI venture. This isn't just about incorporating AI into its workflow—a practice that became commonplace in 2025, with over 80% of consultants using AI for daily research and analysis. Instead, Roland Berger is taking an active role in shaping what it calls “collaborative AI systems that merge technology with industry know-how.” By investing in an AI startup focused on industrial applications, the firm is moving from being a consumer of AI to a co-creator of specialized, high-value AI solutions. This move is a clear bet that the future of consulting lies not in generic AI tools, but in proprietary, industry-specific applications that deliver a concrete competitive edge.

This investment in AI, combined with its hands-on role in the Middle East, illustrates the firm’s new value proposition. It is building a model where strategic advice is seamlessly integrated with the technological capability and on-the-ground support needed to execute it. This hybrid approach directly addresses client demand for measurable outcomes and positions Roland Berger not just as an advisor, but as a partner accountable for results. The firm's record financial performance is the fruit of this strategic discipline, signaling that in the modern economy, the most valuable growth is born from a commitment to tangible, technology-driven transformation.