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Profession: Independent Business Consultant
Location Main Office: City // Darmstadt | Country // Germany
Category management, Change agent, Communication strategy, Executive training, Kata, Lean leadership, Lean management, Lean methods, Lean mindset, Lean production, Lean thinking, Moderation training, New product development, Operational excellence, Problem solving, Project coordination, Project management, Purchasing, Shop floor management, Stakeholder management, Standardisation of processes, Supplier management, Toyota production system, Value stream design, Value stream mapping, X-Matrix
Aerospace, Aerospace industry, Automotive industry, Casting industry, Chemical industry, Consultancies, Electrodeposition, Galvanisation, Liquidation, Mechanical engineering industry, Petrochemical industry, Process industry, Public institutions, Toy industry, Toyota production system
Mr. Henrik Zirkel’s expertise lies in executing transformation at the intersection of operational excellence, project management, and cross-functional alignment. For over 12 years, he has worked with international groups and family-owned businesses across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, precision engineering, and manufacturing—consistently helping key stakeholders reach decisions fast and implement them with clarity.
Henrik isn’t satisfied with surface-level change. His drive is to create structures that outlast individual projects—cultures that sustain progress, systems that deliver transparency, and strategies that connect the boardroom with the shop floor. Continuous improvement isn’t a department to him; it’s a mindset embedded in how people think, collaborate, and deliver results.
A recent example includes supporting an international group with subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, the Americas, and Asia. At the group’s UK subsidiary, Henrik kicked off Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) with two pilot projects, designed and delivered bespoke trainings, and embedded lean routines that equipped managers to lead with data and purpose. These initiatives are not just about cost reduction—they’re about focus, discipline, and building capacity for sustainable performance.
Henrik’s approach is precise, structured, and always aimed at simplicity. Whether it’s reducing production waste, improving cost efficiency, or shifting a company toward more value-focused thinking, he brings a toolkit that teams adopt and keep using long after he’s gone. As a trained engineer with a business MBA, he is equally comfortable designing a performance dashboard as he is facilitating a cross-functional workshop on site.
He has lived and worked in four countries, speaks three languages fluently, and brings the same meticulous mindset to his professional engagements as he does to his private pursuits—as a licensed pilot and alpine climber. He’s the type of person who prepares with rigour, commits to what’s essential, and adapts quickly when conditions shift.
Henrik Zirkel joined CBA in July 2020 as Consulting Professional and M&A Adviser. He splits his time between Parma, Italy and Frankfurt, Germany—and is currently open to new consulting challenges that combine strategic ambition with operational reality.
German (native), English (business fluent), Italian (fluent), Spanish (basic user), French (basic user)
MBA, B. Eng.
MBA accomplished part time;
Founded own Business immediaid
Years in Advisory: 10
- Private Pilot Licence (PPL-A, towing licence) since 16 years
- Bouldering (climbing) Level 6c+ achieved in 2 years time
- Unanimously elected President of the European College of Business and Management Alumni Council
