At its heart, corporate strategy asks how a company’s total can be valued higher than the sum of its parts. This translates into three questions that should be on the agenda of every CEO. What is our company’s vision? What is our portfolio strategy? And, how must we adjust our corporate policies to achieve our goals?

Ulrich Pidun
Partner & Director, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow
Frankfurt

Ulrich Pidun is a core member of the Corporate Finance & Strategy practice at Boston Consulting Group and a global expert on corporate strategy. In 2019, Ulrich was elected a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow. His research focuses on the future of planning.

Since joining the firm in 1997, Ulrich has focused on corporate strategy and family business. He has acquired deep experience in corporate portfolio management, growth strategy, and parenting strategy.

Ulrich has a special interest in value creation by multi-business firms and is convinced that diversified companies—if well managed—should not have a valuation discount over more focused firms.

He joined BCG directly after completing his doctoral studies.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • PhD, summa cum laude, theoretical chemistry, Philipps University of Marburg
  • MBA, with highest distinction, INSEAD
  • MSc, chemistry and mathematics, Philipps University of Marburg and Imperial College London

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Scholarship, Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
  • Marburg University Award for Academic Excellence (PhD)
  • Henry Ford II Award, MBA 2000, INSEAD
  • Honorary professor for corporate strategy, Technical University of Berlin

Publications and Videos

Discovering the Tools and Tactics of Trust in Business Ecosystems

Discovering the Tools and Tactics of Trust in Business Ecosystems

Trust can make or break ecosystem success, but it doesn’t always arise organically. Which instruments do successful ecosystems use to build and maintain trust among participants?
The Untapped Potential of Ecosystems in Health Care

The Untapped Potential of Ecosystems in Health Care

Ecosystems have the power to reshape the health care industry and end the tradeoff between access, quality, and cost. Here’s how.
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Building Trust in Business Ecosystems

Winning companies use a multifaceted framework to build trust into their ecosystem operations from the very outset.
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How Do You Manage a Business Ecosystem?

For long-term success, orchestrators must keep an eye on the five main building blocks of ecosystem governance and pick the right model.
What Is the Right Role for Your Supervisory Board

What Is the Right Role for Your Supervisory Board?

There are four good options. Learn how to choose the best one for your company.
Additive Manufacturing Needs a Business Ecosystem - rectangle

Additive Manufacturing Needs a Business Ecosystem

Companies may finally be able to achieve the long-awaited step change in the industry’s development—if they act collectively, rather than individually.
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Why Do Most Business Ecosystems Fail?

There are always multiple reasons, but most of them have to do with the design of the ecosystem. New research reveals how and when ecosystems fail and suggests what you can do to avoid that fate.
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How Do You “Design” a Business Ecosystem?

You can’t entirely plan or design an ecosystem, but answering some critical questions will increase the odds of building an ecosystem that has the potential to create new industries or transform existing ones.
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Corporate Governance in Familienunternehmen: Vier Ansatzpunkte zur Verbesserung der Aufsichts- und Beiratsarbeit

Digitalisierung, neue Handelsbarrieren, zunehmende Volatilität und interne Komplexität: Familienunternehmen stehen vor vielen Herausforderungen.

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Was Erfolgreiche Aufsichtsräte Tatsächlich Anders Machen

Was macht einen Aufsichtsrat erfolgreich? Wie kann das Gremium einen wertvollen Beitrag für das Unternehmen leisten?
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Do You Need a Business Ecosystem?

The hype suggests that you do, but business ecosystems are not always the right model for organizing the creation of a product or service. Learn what they are, what sets them apart, and their benefits and drawbacks.
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Challenges of Supervisory Boards

In the largest survey of German and Austrian supervisory boards to date, we asked 120 chairmen and board members about their work.
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