About CPC:
Who we are and what drives us

During the week the founding members work and live together in the old half-timbered house, since they come from different parts of Germany. They are united by a shared vision: to build a consultancy that advises just as professionally as the established consulting firms, but with a fresh approach that is untypical of the industry. That approach includes giving every employee — not only the partners — a stake in the company, actively developing people both professionally and personally, and keeping staff turnover as low as possible. The founders also deliberately want to avoid the arrogant, self-important manner so often attributed to the industry. That ambition is reflected in their claim: “Competent consulting – without arrogance”.

In the early years the Mittelstand is CPC's most important client base. During this period the company builds up extensive know-how in reengineering and change management. Mid-sized companies turn out to be demanding clients, however. While the need for consulting is undisputed, their financial resources are often limited. So the motto is frequently: “The sooner the reorganisation project shows results, the sooner you are out again”.

These circumstances lead CPC to focus increasingly on large companies towards the end of the 1990s, in order to establish lasting business relationships that go beyond individual projects.

Since it was founded, CPC has grown by 15 to 20 % every year. In the first three years that means hiring one or two new colleagues. In selecting them, the founders pay particular attention to candidates owning a car of their own, so they can drive to clients all over Germany. By 1996, though, the number of applications explodes – within three weeks the company receives mail from 600 prospective colleagues. Application documents pile up in laundry baskets in the corridors and offices. A sophisticated selection process is developed and refined further over the years. The goal: to find young talent who are both able and willing to muck in on projects without the typical consultant airs. In 1997 the firm is converted into a public limited company, putting its successful employee ownership model on a new footing. To this day more than 80% of the company is owned by active employees.

In 1998 CPC moves its headquarters to Frankfurt am Main. By this point CPC has grown into a company with 12 permanent employees, supported by many assistants, interns and freelancers.

As the focus on large companies grows, “project management” is introduced as a further area of expertise at the end of the 1990s. Large companies are running more and ever larger projects, while project management methodology inside these groups is still underdeveloped. That creates the opportunity to tailor project management to specific client needs. CPC quickly builds up further know-how and offers a wide range of project services. This proves to be a genuine growth engine, because even junior consultants are able to become productive quickly and deliver immediate value to clients.

From 2000 onwards CPC additionally concentrates on “reality training”. When making strategic changes – introducing new leadership principles or a service excellence model, for example – corporations face the challenge of getting large numbers of managers to rethink. Reality trainings let participants experience “acting before and after” under realistic conditions. Through their own perception, coaching and feedback they question old ways of working and develop the motivation to reorient themselves.

Over the following years the reality training companies “Dolphin Aircraft”, “Kronau Druckmaschinen AG”, “Banco Dos Povos” and “World Motors AG” come into being, with more to follow in later years. The unusual learning effects of this format delight participants time and again. The training concept is so successful that it leads to some unexpected events: Banco Dos Povos, for instance, receives serious job applications through its recruiting pages, and the Dolphin Aircraft online shop sells merchandise that exists only as one-offs. At an automotive supplier trade fair in Detroit there is a stir because World Motors AG is supposedly based on the 22nd floor of the exhibition building – a sports car manufacturer nobody knows, but everybody would like to meet. And so the term “reality training” takes on a very literal meaning.

The fruits of an investment-oriented company policy become ever more visible. In 2003 CPC, together with T-Systems, receives the ZfU IBS further education award for the Dolphin leadership development programme. In 2007 CPC is honoured with the International German Training Prize for its reality trainings. At the same time, demand for project services on large-scale projects rises sharply. More and more companies want to play it safe on their most important undertakings and engage CPC's consultants for central project tasks. By the end of 2007 CPC has more than 50 permanently employed consultants under contract.

Another important milestone in CPC's history is the founding of the Service Academy. This project for an international telecommunications company sets out to strengthen the service competence of 2,500 managers and raise their awareness of how much the subject matters. In 2008 a total of 80 reality trainings take place at three different locations. At each of them up to 30 actors, trainers and helpers work together to train the participants as effectively as possible.

Also in 2008, CPC is named a top employer in Germany for the first time, an award presented by Handelsblatt/Junge Karriere and CRF. The recognition reflects how satisfied employees are and how strongly they identify with the company.

Just a year later, in 2009, we decide to align our entire product and service portfolio consistently with change management. This strategic step lays the foundation for future success.

In 2011 we extend our global footprint and open an office in Beijing. Numerous employees spend the following years in China, contributing significantly to CPC generating 20 % of its revenue in this dynamic region shortly afterwards. In 2012 we move our headquarters to the modern The Squaire building at Frankfurt Airport, which has been our home ever since. A year later another change is due: CPC goes “green”. Our corporate identity has shone in vivid greens ever since, which stands for our fresh and dynamic company philosophy not only visually but also symbolically.

2014 marks another high point: with the development of our own CPC change method we combine the best of the teachings of experts such as Kotter, Levin and Krüger with our own practical experience. That method has been the heart of our change management consulting ever since.

Our expansion continues in 2015 as well: in Turkey we find a promising consulting market that opens up numerous exciting transformation management projects for us.

Confidence in our company culture is confirmed again in 2016, when we are certified as a Great Place to Work® for the fifth year in a row. This recognition not only helps us consolidate our position as an attractive employer year after year, it also gives us valuable insights for developing continuously.

In 2018 we do everything we can to establish ourselves as a “Hidden Champion for change management”. That distinction meant a great deal to us, because it is based on the assessment of our clients, who vote us the number 1 change management consultancy in Germany.

A special highlight also falls in 2018: we celebrate our 25th anniversary extensively with our clients, underlining our long-standing partnerships and successes.

2020 brings unexpected challenges with it: the pandemic fundamentally changes the way we work. Almost overnight we find ourselves working from home, collaborating with our clients in virtual teams and on Miro boards. Despite initial difficulties we master this shift successfully and prove our adaptability once again.

In 2021 we celebrate a further milestone: our 100th client places an order with us, underlining our steadily growing reputation in the industry. Many more clients are still to follow. 2022 is a special year too, as we start our 2,500th project. This shows how far we have come since our founding in 1993 and how successfully we support our clients.

Our international expansion continues in 2023 with the founding of CPC Austria. With this step we extend our presence in the European market and open up new opportunities for growth and collaboration.

2024 and 2025 promise to be extraordinary once again. In January 2024 we are named “Hidden Champion for Change Management 2024/25” for the fourth year in a row. At the same time The Excellence Circle launches, a cooperation of seven outstanding consultancies pooling their strengths to compete with the industry's established top 5.