Roland Berger and Schmitz & Partner to launch joint Restructuring company
In a move set to reshape the German-speaking restructuring landscape, Roland Berger and Schmitz & Partner are joining forces to launch a specialised centre of excellence dedicated to Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) management.
The new company – Ralf Schmitz CRO Management – will begin operations on 1 January 2026. The partnership brings together two of the country’s most influential players in restructuring turnaround management.
Roland Berger, one of the world’s leading strategy consultancies with more than 3,000 consultants, has deep restructuring expertise from a consulting and financial perspective, as well as a global reach. Schmitz & Partner meanwhile, led by renowned restructuring specialist Ralf Schmitz, brings decades of hands-on leadership experience in stabilising and transforming distressed companies.
Their shared ambition is clear: address the growing complexity of corporate restructurings at a time when experienced transformation leaders are short in short supply.
According to a joint statement, restructuring projects today are more multifaceted, longer in duration and often cross-border – yet the market faces a shortage of senior executives capable of steering companies through these periods of acute challenge.
Ralf Schmitz CRO Management
The new Ralf Schmitz CRO Management aims to close this gap by providing corporations and large medium-sized enterprises with seasoned CROs who take operational responsibility at the highest level.
The joint venture will cover the full restructuring value chain, from developing tailored concepts to implementing turnaround measures and ensuring sustainable transformation. With what the partners describe as the largest network of CRO experts in the German-speaking region, the new organisation is designed to respond quickly and decisively when businesses enter critical phases.
“With Ralf Schmitz CRO Management, we are setting the gold standard in restructuring management,” said Alexander Müller, Senior Partner at Roland Berger. That ‘standard’ is powered by Schmitz’s long-established credibility with banks and stakeholders, while Roland Berger provides the leadership bench, implementation capability and international network needed to deliver complex programmes.
Schmitz added: “We deliver measurable added value for our clients – from the development and implementation of restructuring concepts to a successful turnaround.”
Marcus Berret, Senior Partner and Global Managing Director at Roland Berger, stated: “The combination of implementation strength, international experience and comprehensive industry and functional expertise gives us a competitive edge in the market.”
