Ketil Gjerstad

Ketil Gjerstad leads Boston Consulting Group's Corporate Finance & Strategy (CFS) practice in the Central Europe and Middle East region. He is a European topic expert for shareholder value, end-to-end M&A, and broader large scale transformations.

Ketil’s focus is on working with clients to unlock their full value potential by leveraging BCG’s expertise in corporate, portfolio and capital market strategy, innovation, end-to-end M&A, and larger transformations and turnarounds. He has led 20 larger cross-border integrations (buy-side) and carve-outs (sell-side), as well as many successful improvement programs to the benefit of shareholders.

Ketil is also a member of BCG's Principal Investors and Private Equity practice, and has supported more than 120 (vendor) commercial due diligences for industrial and financial investors.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

MSc, finance, NHH—Norwegian School of Economics

Publications and Videos

Bringing Science to the Art of CEO Succession Planning

By adding a systematic approach to a process often driven by instinct, boards can ensure that they select the right leader at the right time.

Husqvarna: Honing a Competitive Edge

The world-famous power tool maker reorganized, refocused its product lines, and revved up its margins, achieving a remarkable turnaround with record results.

Danske Bank: Rediscovering the Customer

Following the 2008 financial crisis, Danske Bank launched a dramatic comeback with a campaign to boost margin, streamline operations, and win customers with digital services.

The Nordic Comeback Kids: Turnaround Stars and Their Stories

These value creation stars ranked in the top quartile of value creation after a turnaround. Although they took different paths, all followed three core principles.

Royal Unibrew: Crafting a Turnaround from a Winning M&A Move

After a near-brush with bankruptcy, this beer maker parlayed a strategic acquisition into a well-devised corporate repositioning for rapid growth and expansion into new markets.

BillerudKorsnäs and Metsä Board: Two Paper Companies, Two Routes to Reinvention

Digital decimated the paper industry worldwide. These two century-old companies rebounded by shifting to packaging—one via M&A, the other by revamping its portfolio.

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The CFO’s Vital Role in Corporate Transformation

CFOs can maintain a relentless focus on value creation by serving as strategic advisors to business leaders, overseeing performance, and communicating a persuasive equity story to investors.

Why Consumer Goods Companies Need to Build, Buy, and Broker

For decades, makers of fast-moving consumer goods have outperformed companies in most other sectors. But as market conditions get tougher, they’ll need a three-part plan to create value.

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Capitalizing on the Demand for Durables

Manufacturers have benefited from the global economic recovery. To continue that momentum, they must design new products around digital technology, identify pockets of growth, and tap into emerging markets.

Can Traditional Retailers Counter the Online Threat?

Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods was a shot across the bow. To compete with e-commerce players, established retailers must improve their value proposition, their internal operations, and the customer experience.

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North American Airlines Take Off

Among travel and tourism companies, airlines have dominated over the past five years in terms of value creation, thanks to restructuring efforts, scale efficiencies, and consolidation.

The 2017 M&A Report: The Technology Takeover

Three trends are driving global M&A: China’s increasing appetite for acquisitions, private equity’s need to invest, and—most important—the growing volume of deals involving tech targets.

Deep Expertise, Broad Experience