The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Automotive Consultants and Leaders of 2024. This award celebrates individuals who have pushed for greater innovation in the automotive space through digital transformation efforts that are creating pathways into the future for self-driving vehicles, sensor technology, cloud computing, greater green energy initiatives, and more. The nominees below represent the best among hundreds of candidates after factoring in feedback from leaders in and around the professional and technology service industries. Their expertise spans financial, engineering, legal, and other important areas that feed into what next generation transportation will look like in coming years.
Among this year's awardees is Juergen Reers with Accenture who is helping companies prepare for and shape the future of mobility by developing large transformation programs that are designed to transform traditional business models. Brian Irwin with Alvarez & Marsal is focused on helping organizations capitalize on changing customer expectations in their inevitable migration to electric vehicles. Finally, with the automotive industry in a period of unending transformation, Gary Silberg of KPMG is establishing new ways to help organizations identify and evaluate new growth strategies that will make them scalable, and inevitably, profitable.
All of these individuals represent the top performers who rose above their peers to move both their respective organizations and the industry at large forward. Please join us in recognizing the accomplishments of The Top 25 Automotive Consultants and Leaders of 2024.
1. Juergen Reers
Firm: Accenture
Title: Senior Managing Director and Global Automotive and Mobility Lead
With a career spanning over almost three decades, Juergen Reers focuses on driving digital transformation, innovation, and strategic growth for clients around the globe. He is a Senior Managing Director and Global Automotive and Mobility Lead at Accenture, where he is responsible for all Accenture services and client account teams in the industry sector. He founded Accenture’s Mobility X Practice, which helps companies prepare for and shape the future of mobility. He also serves on Accenture’s Global Leadership Council.
Reers previously worked for numerous OEMs, suppliers, mobility service providers and distribution/retail clients with a focus on strategy/M&A, sales, marketing, engineering, and performance improvement. He helped automotive clients develop large transformation programs involving software-enabled and sustainable mobility. He also frequently advises, writes, and speaks about the implication of technology on the automotive and mobility sector and how businesses can leverage new technologies to transform traditional business models. He holds a MBA from the University of Münster in Germany.
2. Dr. Christine Sachseneder
Firm: Kearney
Title: Partner, Managing Director Automotive Europe
Dr. Christine Sachseneder is a Partner and Managing Director in Kearney’s automotive practice, based in Munich. Amid the biggest transformation the automotive industry has ever seen, she supports automotive manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers to remain competitive by transforming how vehicles are developed and adapting their businesses to a rapidly shifting external environment.
Her work is right at the heart of the transformation: with the shift to electrification, digitalization and autonomous driving, vehicles are fundamentally changing. Christine’s projects center around product creation, covering all aspects of engineering, technical compliance and quality. She also specializes in product-driven transformation, with a particular focus on the software-defined vehicle.
In today’s complex and rapidly changing environment, Christine and her teams are increasingly providing guidance to clients based on AI-powered simulation and optimization, such as enhancing internal combustion engine and electric vehicle portfolios and improving volume planning. And with manufacturers and suppliers chasing efficiencies to finance the future, she also heads up large performance programs and helps clients to capitalize on the digital opportunity, for example using generative AI to re-engineer their research and development capabilities.
In addition to her account leadership responsibilities, Christine has a passion for people development. She maintains this commitment as a member of Kearney’s internal promotions and elections committee and European Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council. She has a Diploma and PhD in International Cultural and Business studies from the University of Passau.
3. Brian Irwin
Firm: Alvarez & Marsal
Title: Managing Director and Automotive Sector Lead
Irwin leads the Automotive Sector within Alvarez and Marsal and brings over 25 years of experience serving automotive and industrial clients across North America, Europe and Asia. He focuses on helping companies drive improved financial performance and transform their organizations to capitalize on the rapidly evolving automotive landscape of changing customer expectations, migration to (B)EVs, and the need to digitize end-to-end operations.
Irwin has partnered with many of the leading automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, dealers and aftermarket firms globally. He has helped these organizations develop strategies to grow and has assisted them in driving improvement in product development, quality, complexity reduction and large-scale cost transformation (both direct and indirect material).
Prior to joining A&M, Irwin was a Managing Director leading the North America Automotive and Mobility practice at Accenture. Prior to that he was a Partner with A.T. Kearney. And prior to his work in consulting, Irwin worked for General Motors.
Irwin earned a bachelor’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada and an MBA (with distinction) from the University of Western Ontario. He currently leads the finance committee for the C5 Youth foundation of Texas and actively supports youth development programs.
4. Laura Marcero
Firm: Huron
Title: Managing Director
Laura Marcero has over 20 years of experience leading complex restructuring, transformational efforts, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions at Huron, a management consulting firm offering services to the healthcare, life sciences, commercial, and higher education industries. She provides expert counsel to clients in a variety of industries, including automotive, industrial manufacturing, metals, municipalities, transportation, retail franchising, pharmaceuticals, higher education, consumer products and publishing.
Marcero guides clients through organizational restructuring, helps executive teams develop short- and long-term creative solutions, customer strategies, and sustainable resourcing plans to both improve financial performance and facilitate growth.
Marcero’s perspective on the automotive supplier community served as a basis by which requests were made to Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and the US government for funding to the automotive supplier community in 2009. She holds a BA in business administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
5. Edzil Gonsalves
Firm: Tata Consultancy Services
Title: Managing Partner
Edzil Gonsalves is the Managing Partner of Industry, Advisory, and Manufacturing of Tata Consultancy Services, an Indian multinational information technology services and consulting company headquartered in Mumbai. In addition to his work with clients he co-authored several white papers on program management and sustainability, conducted innovation and business workshops, and presented at both Siemens PLM World and CIMdata forums.
6. Jason Alexander
Firm: RSM US LLP
Title: Industrials Leader, Principal
Jason Alexander has more than 20 years of experience serving multinational clients in the manufacturing, automotive, and chemicals sectors, with a particular emphasis on SEC clients, Fortune 500, and middle market companies. In leading the North American Manufacturing Practice of RSM US, a leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market, Alexander is responsible for one of the firm’s largest industry sectors and responsible for setting and executing the firm’s national manufacturing strategy. He is also an analyst in RSM’s Industry Eminence Program, which forecasts and communicates economic, business and technology trends shaping the industries and sectors RSM serves.
Alexander has previously advised clients in the areas of accounting, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, process design and improvement, internal audit, regulatory compliance, internal and external financial reporting, and information technology system implementation. He has a strong record of accomplishment of people, team, and practice development across North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Alexander also serves on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) where he helps amplify the need for the industry to create well-paying jobs and grow the economy.
7. Neal Ganguli
Firm: FTI Consulting
Title: Senior Managing Director Business Transformation, Leader Automotive and Industrial
Neal Ganguli is a Senior Managing Director of Business Transformation and Leader of the Automotive and Industrial sector for FTI Consulting, a business consultancy firm specializing in corporate finance and restructuring, economic consulting, forensic and litigation consulting, strategic communications, and technology.
8. David Carlson
Firm: Marsh
Title: Managing Director
David Carlson leads the US Manufacturing and Automotive Industry Practice for Marsh and is based in Cleveland. He is responsible for building and growing the practice and ensuring consistent delivery of Marsh’s industry-leading products and solutions to address the seismic shifts that innovation and the mobility ecosystem are bringing to Marsh’s manufacturing and automotive clients on a global basis.
9. Jaydip Mukhopadhyay
Firm: Wipro
Title: Vice President, Automotive and Manufacturing
Jaydip Mukhopadhyay is the Vice President of the Automotive and Manufacturing business in North America for Wipro, a technology and IT consulting services firm. He is responsible for driving business growth, building strategic partnerships with leading automakers, and delivering innovative solutions to accelerate the transformation journey of the automotive industry.
Leading one of the fastest growing businesses within Wipro, Mukhopadhyay has executed some of the most strategic initiatives around digital transformation, cloud computing, autonomous mobility, and customer experience. Previously, he led consulting for North America, where he built solutions across product development, manufacturing, sales, and the marketing and aftersales businesses.
Mukhopadhyay began his career at Tata Motors working across a variety of roles in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors. He earned an MBA from the Xavier School of Management in India, an MA in physics from Calcutta University, and he graduated from Harvard Business School’s Leading Global Businesses program. In 2023, the Consulting Report named Mukhopadhyay a top 25 automotive consultant and leader.
10. Vinod Kadadi
Firm: Wipro Consulting
Title: Partner, Automotive
With over 25 years of experience in the automotive and transportation industries, Vinod Kadadi is a seasoned consulting Partner at Wipro Consulting, a technology and IT consulting services firm where he leads the automotive practice. In his role he identifies client needs, develops strategies, business cases and roadmaps in the areas of customer experience, aftersales transformation, electrification, and cloud adoption.
Kadadi previously held leadership positions at General Motors where he developed various initiatives and received a CIO award for delivering transformative engagements with ROI over $500 million. At DMI Consulting he helped deliver transformative solutions in logistics, inventory and connected ecosystems using analytics, digital and IoT services.
He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Kakatiya University in India and an Executive MBA from Emory University Goizueta Business School in Atlanta.
11. Michele Bertoncello
Firm: McKinsey & Company
Title: Partner, Milan
Michele Bertoncello co-leads the connected-car initiative at the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, taking direct responsibility for the center’s car data monetization project. He also supports clients through McKinsey’s Automotive and Assembly Practice, with an emphasis on advanced digital projects, including the connected car, car data monetization, and future mobility concepts.
Bertoncello is a member of Italy’s Motor Valley Think Tank, a senior leadership organization that promotes technological development in the region of Emilia-Romagna.
Bertoncello joined McKinsey in 2007. He advises clients in the automotive and assembly sector on strategy, marketing and sales, and innovation issues. He earned an M&A in Managerial Accounting from Harvard University and completed course studies at New York University and Universita Bocconi.
12. Klaus Stricker
Firm: Bain & Company
Title: Partner
Klaus Stricker is a Partner and Director at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. As the global head of the firm’s Automotive Practice, his clients include global manufacturers, suppliers, and services providers in the automotive after-sales industry.
13. Mark Kwilosz
Firm: Kroll
Title: Managing Director
Mark Kwilosz is a Managing Director in the Duff & Phelps Opinions practice of Kroll, a financial and risk advisory firm. Kwilosz also heads the firm’s Automotive Industry Group and is a member of the Fairness Opinion Review Committee.
14. Lawrence Keyler
Firm: RSM US LLP
Title: Partner, Global Automotive Leader, and Pittsburgh Market Leader
Lawrence Keyler is a senior SEC tax partner focused on large global public companies at RSM US, a leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market. He primarily works in industrials and manufacturing, specifically within the automotive sector. As RSM’s global automotive leader, Larry works with RSM’s global office and the firm’s worldwide automotive teams in Asia Pacific, Europe, and South America.
Keyler consults on current issues related to supply chain challenges, strategic planning and legal entity alignment and rationalization, as well as mergers and acquisition planning.
Keyler focuses on new developments in emerging markets, the accelerated rise of new technologies related to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics automation, sustainability and green energy initiatives evolving in the automotive industry and their impact on consumer ownership preferences. He is a frequent commentator for RSM’s quarterly automotive webinar series and is a frequent writer for RSM’s Automotive Insights on topics such as trends in the automotive industry trends, supply chain resiliency, cybersecurity, mobility, ESG, and electric vehicle trends. He has a BS in accounting from the University of Indianapolis.
15. Harris Ng
Firm: Kearney
Title: Partner
Harris Ng is a Partner at Kearney, a global management firm, where he provides strategic advice to automotive and industrial OEMs and suppliers. In his nearly 20 years at Kearney, he has served clients in areas of business strategy, performance improvement, and operations. He is also a published thought leader in the automotive sector on electrification, mobility, and advanced manufacturing. He specializes in corporate strategy, strategic planning, product development, innovation, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, finance, and commercial due diligence.
Prior to joining Kearney, Ng led electronics product development as an Engineering Manager at Methode Electronics, a leading global supplier of custom-engineered solutions. He earned an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business with an MBA and a BSEE and BSME in mechanical engineering at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.
16. Cara Haffey
Firm: PwC UK
Title: Partner
Cara Haffey leads the Manufacturing and Automotive sectors across all disciplines and is the Head of Private Business and Head of Deals in Northern Ireland for PwC, a leading multinational professional services network with a focus on providing audit, tax, and consulting services to a wide range of clients. She is also PwC’s Merger and Acquisitions (M&A) Deals Partner.
17. Samid Hussain
Firm: Cornerstone Research
Title: Senior Vice President
Samid Hussain coheads the consumer fraud and product liability practice at Cornerstone Research, a litigation consulting firm that provides economic and financial analysis and expert testimony to attorneys, corporations, and government agencies involved in complex litigation and regulatory proceedings. He also serves on the firm’s executive and conflict resolution committees.
Hussain specializes in analyzing economic, marketing, and statistical issues in competition, consumer fraud, product liability, antitrust, healthcare, breach of contract, and intellectual property matters. He frequently consults on economic and marketing issues related to liability, class certification, and damages and has worked on several prominent cases involving allegations of false claims, consumer fraud, product liability, product misrepresentation, product defects, and false and deceptive advertising.
Hussain has experience in the automotive, IT, oil and gas, airline, genetically modified organism (GMO), and telecommunication industries. A teacher at Stanford University and Cornell University, Hussain holds a PhD in economics and a MA in economics and education administration, both from Cornell University. He earned a BS in electrical engineering from Purdue University.
18. Gary Silberg
Firm: KPMG
Title: Partner, Global Automotive Sector Leader
Gary Silberg has more than 25 years of business experience, the majority in the automotive industry. He is the Global Automotive Sector Leader of KPMG, a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services and the Global Lead Partner for Ford Motor Company.
19. Jody Stidham
Firm: Deloitte
Title: Managing Director
Jody Stidham is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting where she leads the firm’s Global Automotive practice. She possesses more than 25 years of experience in the automotive sector. In her role, Stidham helps clients develop strategies that combine innovation, transformation, and drive profitable growth.
20. Aditya Pathak
Firm: Cognizant
Title: Vice President and Head of Automotive, Transportation, and Logistics
With more than 25 years in engineering, consulting, and management, Aditya Pathak is the Vice President and Head of Automotive, Transportation, & Logistics for Cognizant, a multinational information technology and consulting company.
Founded in Chennai, India, and headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cognizant helps clients modernize their technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences to help them stay ahead of the competition. As a leader, Pathak has turned the automotive, transportation, and logistics industry segments into growth drivers for the company.
Before joining Cognizant, Pathak was a General Manager of Healthcare for Wipro Limited, where he also began his career as a systems engineer. He also previously served Cognizant as a director and client partner for providers and alliances. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in electronics and telecommunications from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), an MBA from the Indian Institutes of Management, and executive education certificates from Harvard University and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
21. Sven Dharmani
Firm: EY
Title: Global, Manufacturing and Mobility Supply Chain Leader
An accomplished operations advisor at EY, a global professional services firm, Sven Dharmani helps clients adopt leading-edge digital and industry 4.0 capabilities, which is transformative for their business operations. He brings a global perspective from his business experience in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Dharmani has more than 20 years of international experience in both automotive and manufacturing.
Dharmani started his career as a sales associate at Honda Motor Co and held roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers at a senior supply chain management consultant and Capgemini Consulting as a senior manager.
Sven holds an MBA in operations and strategy from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and a BE in industrial engineering from Thapar University in India.
22. Sandy Duncan
Firm: Teneo
Title: Senior Managing Director
Sandy Duncan has nearly 20 years of experience providing hands-on support for executive management teams across a wide range of sectors, covering financial restructuring, short-term cash flow work, working capital optimization as well as operational restructuring, cost reduction, carve-outs, and wind-downs.
23. Jean-Marie Lapeyre
Firm: Capgemini
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Global Automotive Industry
Jean-Marie Lapeyre is the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the Global Automotive Industry at Capgemini, a French multinational information technology services and consulting firm. His role focuses on driving actionable technology strategy and delivering large-scale international enterprise programs.
24. Megan Condon
Firm: BDO USA
Title: Tax Principal
Megan Condon is a Tax Principal at BDO USA, the 6th largest accounting and professional services firm in the US by revenue. She has worked exclusively with auto dealerships throughout her 15-year public accounting career. In her role, Condon helps automotive dealers with cash controls, cost segregation, financial statement analysis, internal controls, business and occupation (B&O) sales tax consulting, and tax planning.
25. Bill Reeves
Firm: Arthur D. Little
Title: Principal
Bill Reeves is a Principal based in the San Francisco office as a member of the Strategy & Organization, Automotive, and Industrial Goods & Services practices and a core leader of Arthur D. Little’s Growth Accelerator offer. Reeves’ consulting work centers around results-driven growth strategy especially in Automotive and related convergence opportunities in Energy & Utilities and Technology sectors.
