Niklas Dabrunst

Niklas Dabrunst

Independent Strategy & Transformation Advisor

I'm Niklas Dabrunst, an independent advisor for strategy and transformation. I help executives in Manufacturing, Energy, Retail and Pharma not just plan strategic initiatives, but embed them durably in their organisations. My consulting career began at Capgemini Invent, before I joined ALDI Nord as Chief of Staff to steer the company's group-wide agile transformation under the SAFe framework. At Alinea & Company, I led complex engagements as Managing Consultant – from corporate strategy through the design of integrated Target Operating Models (structure, processes, leadership & governance) to global GTM scale-ups. Since 2026, I advise as an independent consultant: with the same analytical rigour as a top-tier management consultancy, but with a direct line to the CEO and without agency overhead. One engagement defines my approach best: at Scholt Energy, I designed the German sales territory model in 2020 and returned in 2024 to scale the organisation from 50 to 100 regions. That example captures my way of working – whether a growth initiative or a sales turnaround: not as a project that gets closed, but as accountability that remains.

How I work

I typically work as part of the client team, not as an external vendor who delivers concepts and moves on. This leads to three practical implications:

1. 1.Operational depth: I draw my insights directly from the operational context of the organisation.
2. 2.Collaboration: I develop solutions together with the team to ensure high adoption.
3. 3.Results focus: I make sure the outcome – whether a new operating model or a performance steering system – continues to live on after the engagement ends.

My mandates begin with an evidence-based diagnosis of the actual situation. From that, I develop concrete, decision-ready recommendations and drive disciplined execution. I do not leave engagements at the level of the presentation.