Daniel Zipser is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, based in Shenzhen, where he leads the firm’s Consumer and Retail Practice across Asia. He plays a pivotal role in advising both Asian and multinational companies on strategies for growth and performance enhancement, with a deep-seated expertise in understanding the Chinese consumer market.
Since joining McKinsey’s Frankfurt office in 2001, Zipser has served in a wide variety of leadership roles at the firm. In 2007, he moved to the Shanghai office, and from 2010 to 2015, he led the Sales & Marketing Practice in Greater China. In 2020, he took on his current role, overseeing consumer and retail strategies across the wider Asian region.
Zipser's work encompasses a diverse array of consumer sectors including beauty, fashion, luxury goods, automotive, and food and beverages. He focuses extensively on sales and marketing while also covering broader areas such as digital transformation, organizational restructuring, and operating model design.
An accomplished author, Zipser frequently publishes reports and articles aimed at elucidating consumer trends in China. For the past decade, he has led the research and publication of McKinsey’s bi-annual survey of consumer behavior and attitudes in China, which business leaders have come to rely upon as a fact-base for their strategic decision-making. His regular LinkedIn newsletter, “China Insights”, has been read by hundreds of thousands of professionals interested in keeping abreast of Chinese consumer trends.
Zipser is a sought-after commentator on topics pertaining to Chinese consumer trends and consumption, and appears frequently on Bloomberg News, CGTN, and other major broadcast news networks. His perspectives are frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Reuters, and other top-tier global and domestic news outlets.
Zipser holds a PhD in Finance and a Master’s in Economics and Business Administration from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management.
Daniel Zipser leads McKinsey’s Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail Practices in Asia. He collaborates with local leaders to transform their businesses by driving profitable growth in China and achieving successful global expansion. He also assists some of the world’s largest consumer companies in enhancing their performance in China and across Asia.
Daniel works with a broad set of consumer companies spanning beauty, apparel, fashion and luxury, food and beverages, and automotive. His primary focus is on sales and marketing, but his client work often spans broader, more holistic topics including digital, organization and operating-model design, and operations.
Daniel is frequently quoted in top-tier media outlets such as Bloomberg, CNBC, CGTN, China Daily, The Business of Fashion, as well as major regional and local media in Asia and China.
He is a frequent author, publishing articles to help companies better understand consumers in Asia and specifically China.
McKinsey Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Practice
At McKinsey, we understand that today’s consumers demand more—more engagement, more value, and more responsiveness from their favorite brands. We partner with companies across the consumer goods value chain, leveraging real-time insights and proprietary data to drive growth and transform disruptions into opportunities. Together, we innovate through omnichannel strategies, direct-to-consumer models, and sustainable product launches, ensuring global reach with local relevance.
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/how-we-help-clients
McKinsey Retail Practice
At McKinsey, we reimagine retail to enhance customer experiences and drive profitable growth amidst industry disruption. We empower retailers with data-driven insights to optimize operations across pricing, supply chain, and talent management. Together, we leverage AI and advanced analytics to innovate personalization, customer journeys, and sustainability, enhancing capabilities for immediate and enduring success.
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/how-we-help-clients
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm committed to helping organizations create Change that Matters. In more than 130 cities and 65 countries, our teams help clients shape bold strategies and transform the way they work, embed technology where it unlocks value, and build capabilities to sustain the change. Not just any change, but Change that Matters – for their organizations, their people, and in turn society at large.
