Team

Rainer is the founder and still a bit driving force behind maconda. In his more than thirty years as a consultant, he has helped countless companies and led many projects to success. Rainer studied business administration at the University of Mannheim and also completed his doctorate there, which included a scholarship of the Studienstiftung Baden-Württemberg. He has worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and the Treuhandanstalt Berlin, and spent some time in New York. In his private life he loves a wide range of activities: he plays the saxophone and clarinet and (reasonably) the Lithuanian birbyne. He has three daughters and is a carnival enthusiast. As a Palatine native, his passion naturally belongs to wine; Whisky came along after trips to Scotland. Languages: Palatine dialect, German, English and a little Dutch (even if conversation partners usually switch to English – it’s the attempt that counts).

Matthias has been a management consultant for over 20 years, with an increasing focus on transaction advisory since the mid-2000s. In over 200 projects, he has successfully supported demanding clients with commercial due diligence, M&A strategy projects, transaction preparation and other topics. He did this, among other things, as a director in the Financial Advisory division at Deloitte, as a senior consultant in the CDD boutique AMR International and as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. Matthias began his career in central corporate strategy at Siemens. He gained his academic experience in England, at the London School of Economics and Henley Business School. Matthias enjoys spending his free time with his family and in the mountains – hiking or skiing. He speaks fluent German, Viennese and English, and French (if absolutely necessary).

Bertram has been a consultant – with passion – for over 20 years and has accompanied and managed a large number of analysis, strategy and M&A projects. This has enabled him to acquire his versatile expertise in a wide range of industries. He likes sophisticated methods and enjoys creating clear structures in order to get to the bottom of things and convince and inspire customers. Bertram studied geography in Bonn and still harbours an enthusiasm for the big picture and thinking outside the box. In his free time, he enjoys indulging in music with his wife or, as a contrasting programme, being productive as a DIY enthusiast. He is eloquent in German and also speaks very good English.

Ümit Esrefoglu is a specialist in commercial due diligence and growth strategies for private equity investors and their portfolio companies. With over seven years of consulting experience – including at Deloitte and as an independent CDD consultant – he has successfully supported more than 40 projects, primarily in the software and construction business and for manufacturing companies. His focus is on in-depth market and competition analysis and practical strategic advice. Ümit studied general management at EBS University for Business and Law in Oestrich-Winkel. In addition to German, he is fluent in English and Turkish and speaks some Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys fitness, music, politics and history.

Tamara has harmoniously combined her passion for psychology and business while studying at CBS Cologne Business School for a Master’s degree in Business Psychology and Management. This helped her gain the knowledge necessary to understand people in the business world more deeply. At maconda, she will mainly contribute to projects related to consumers as well as in general research and analysis activities. In her free time, Tamara likes to learn different languages and has already succeeded in being fluent in Ukrainian, English, German, and Russian, and currently working on her French. Moreover, she enjoys playing in the theater and singing.

Sinan Haciibrahimoglu enjoys an excellent academic background with a Bachelor’s degree cum laude in International Business, specialising in Finance, and a Master’s degree in Financial Economics, both from Maastricht University / School of Business and Economics. Already during his studies, in which he ranked in the top 10% of his class, Sinan tutored students in statistics and maths as a teaching assistant. He gained his first professional experience at a ‘Big Four’ company, where he was able to demonstrate his analytical understanding and practical expertise in restructuring projects. Due to his strong affinity for numbers, he particularly enjoys data-based analyses and other complex tasks. In his private life, Sinan enjoys football and chess.

Lukas Dedy joined maconda as a highly motivated intern in mid-April 2025. He studied Business Administration at the University of Cologne and then completed his Master’s degree in International Business at Maastricht University with a specialisation in Finance. At maconda, he wants to deepen his theoretical knowledge and gain practical insights into the diverse tasks of management consultancy. Lukas speaks German, English and has a good knowledge of Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys travelling and is interested in good food and cooking. At the maconda bowling event, he was lucky enough to prove his aiming accuracy before starting his internship.

Torsten is a dedicated consultant and trainer for companies in the development, implementation and optimisation of strategies and business models. He is particularly interested in change management. His experience also helps with performance optimisation, as the right strategy and its systematic implementation are essential here. Torsten works closely with clients to develop strategies that are ready for implementation. These take up and integrate the often different department-specific thought patterns and ways of acting. After studying business administration at the University of Cologne, he first worked for the Kenneth Carroll Group in Palo Alto. This was followed by positions at Kienbaum and Malik MZSG. During the “New Economy” he managed a business incubator. He is also Programme Director Strategy & Management at the Management School St. Gallen.

Andreas brings many years of experience as a consultant and project manager in strategic and operational implementation projects in the areas of digital and IT, with a focus on digital business models and omnichannel strategies. Andreas uses this experience profitably in due diligences, in which he focuses on market analysis and the potential assessment of sales platforms and marketing channels, among other things. He completed his Diploma in Business Administration at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and his M.Sc. in Information Management at the School of Business and Economics in Maastricht. In his free time, Andreas enjoys nature and the mountains and various sports such as tennis, surfing or triathlon.

Max is an expert for digital business models and works as an associated consultant for maconda. In addition to practical experience from various strategically and operationally supported digitalisation projects, he brings comprehensive due diligence expertise, particularly from the IT & software, e-commerce and FMCG sectors. His focus is on in-depth market and competition analysis as well as the identification of potentials in the digital marketing and sales funnel. Max completed his B.Sc. in Business Administration and Marketing at the Business School in Pforzheim and his M.Sc. in Marketing Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. He spends most of his free time on the tennis court or in nature, either cycling or hiking.

The special expertise of our Polish colleague Piotr lies in data-based customer management. For more than 20 years, he has supported renowned brands in the development and implementation of customer-centric strategies and processes in marketing, sales and customer service and also leads the Polish activities of Envolved, a leading consultancy for loyalty, CRM and customer experience. Piotr is particularly passionate about cross-border projects (including Poland, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Switzerland, Austria). He completed his business studies at the University of Cologne and the Stockholm School of Economics. After several years as a consultant at maconda in Cologne, Piotr moved to his Polish home in Krakow. His personal passion lies in classic cars. Besides Polish and German as his mother tongue, Piotr speaks English, French and a little Italian.

Isabelle puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She assists with research and interviews, especially with projects related to the Netherlands, Belgium and France because of her language skills and intercultural skills. She has Dutch roots with a large family in the east of the country as well as in Belgian Flanders. In addition to her work for maconda, Isabelle organises a variety of activities for the renowned International Club La Redoute in Bad Godesberg, where well-known politicians and business representatives often speak. She studied psychology in Nijmegen and Amsterdam and then graduated in Business Administration from the Cologne Business School. Afterwards, Isabelle raised three girls, who are now also all studying in the Netherlands. In addition to German and English, Isabelle speaks fluent French, Dutch and some Spanish.

As the ‘good soul of the office’, Jacqueline Hammelmann loves office management and organising events. Thanks to her many years of experience as a management assistant, she has developed a keen sense for efficient processes and clear structures. Her friendly and helpful manner ensures a harmonious working environment, and her high level of empathy makes it easy for her to deal with people. Jacqueline speaks German, English and some Dutch. In her free time, she is passionate about horse riding and is interested in fitness and nutrition. For her, these topics combine discipline, planning and determination – qualities that she also values and brings to her professional life.

Antonia Ruhl has been a highly motivated intern at maconda since May 2025. She is studying business administration at the University of Cologne, focusing on business psychology. She is particularly interested in gaining a holistic understanding of economic relationships. She grew up abroad, which taught her to adapt quickly to new environments. She speaks German and English fluently. During her semester abroad in Madrid, she was able to gain further international experience and demonstrate her academic skills. She is now complementing this with practical insights at maconda, where she is undoubtedly learning a lot of valuable skills. In her free time, Antonia enjoys discovering new cafés and bars, has a passion for music, and loves snowboarding in winter.

In August 2025, Lennard Loge joined the maconda team as a dedicated intern. He is studying economics at the University of Cologne and also brings knowledge from his previous studies in business informatics at the Technical University of Berlin. He has already gained practical experience in portfolio analysis relating to alternative investments and in auditing. During his studies, Lennart was able to gain various insights into the financial sector. He is particularly interested in the connection between economic theory and practical finance. In addition to his quantitative skills, he is fluent in German and English. In his free time, Lennard regularly goes to the gym and is passionate about basketball.

Marion takes care of the office administration and ensures that the advisors have the freedom and peace they need to work in a concentrated manner. Since her training as a travel agent, she has gained a wide range of experience. Among other things, she managed the family travel agency for several years. In her free time, she likes to help friends and acquaintances prepare their tax returns. To recharge her batteries, Marion goes swimming and reads a lot. She sings in a choir, loves Kölsch beer and carnival and, of course, the Effzeh. Marion has diving training and a boating licence. Her languages are German and a good knowledge of English and French.