Who we are | UNITY Consulting & Innovation

UNITY is the Management Consultancy for Innovation and Transformation.

About us
About us

About UNITY

UNITY is a management consulting firm specializing in innovation and digital transformation. We place particular emphasis on artificial intelligence as a key technology for improving efficiency and increasing profitability. Our expertise in end-to-end processes ensures that we optimize and measurably enhance the entire value chain. We position our clients for operational excellence and future-proofing, empowering them to successfully navigate the digital transformation. As a catalyst with deep technological expertise, we help them become pioneers in their industries. The management consulting firm UNITY AG is a subsidiary of UNITY Management GmbH and employs 380 people worldwide.

UNITY AG is also a member of the UNITY Innovation Alliance. This is a strong network of companies that supports its customers in the digitalization of business models, products and services through continuous expertise – from the conception to the implementation.

UNITY has received several awards for its excellent customer projects and as a top employer – including the “Best of Consulting” award from WirtschaftsWoche and “Germany’s best employers” from the independent research and consulting company Great Place to Work^®.

Company Report

380

Employees

Million €

Revenue

1500

Projects for SMEs, the public sector and global players

DAX 40 companies in our customer base

Our history

UNITY success story from founding to today

UNITY was founded in 1995 by Prof Dr Jürgen Gausemeier and his students Tomas Pfänder and Christoph Plass from the Heinz Nixdorf Institute at the University of Paderborn. The exchange between science and practice has been one of UNITY's basic principles from the very beginning. Thanks to our close link to the Heinz Nixdorf Institute at Paderborn University and many other universities and research institutes, we ensure that our consulting services are always based on the latest research.

Dr. Ulrich Deppe and Philipp Wibbing are appointed to the Management Board.
The founders Tomas Pfänder and Christoph Plass join the Supervisory Board of UNITY AG and the Management Board of UNITY Management GmbH.
Investment by Deutsche Beteiligungs AG in UNITY for inorganic growth.
UNITY is recognized as a Great Place to Work®.
Daniel Siedl becomes the new Managing Director of UNITY Austria.
Founding of a foreign subsidiary in Australia with headquarters in Sydney with Julian Gerg as Managing Director.
Ingo Neumann and René Szepanski appointed partners.
Christian Steinbach is the new managing director of UNITY Switzerland AG.
Expansion of the group of partners with Meik Eusterholz, Jörg Greitemeyer, Katharina Pierschalik, Dennis Schmidt and Viviane Zimmermann in 2022.
WirtschaftsWoche presents UNITY with the “Best of Consulting” award in 2021 and again and 2022.
UNITY's customer base includes 27 of the DAX 40 companies as well as successful SMEs.
UNITY increases its revenue by 16% to €73.6 million in 2023 with 380 employees.
Virtual 25th anniversary celebration during the pandemic: 1,600 participants in the livestream at the UNITY25 Summit.
In 2018, we generated €40 million in revenue with 250 employees.
In 2019, the UNITY Innovation Alliance was founded with 400 employees, 270 of whom work at UNITY AG.
UNITY receives the Digital Champions Award and the Future Prize of the Healthcare Industry in 2019.
Stable business despite the global Corona crisis in 2020-2022.
Ingo Neumann becomes the new Managing Director at UNITY in China, Nicolina Litschgi is appointed to the group of Partners and Moritz Pfeiffer joins the management team in Switzerland in 2020.
Received the “Best of Consulting” award from WirtschaftsWoche for the first time and was licensed as a Systems Engineering training provider in 2016.
In the same year, Nicolina Litschgi becomes Managing Director of UNITY Schweiz AG.
Heiko Janssen is appointed Partner in 2015, Thilo Böhm, Dr. Michael Herbst, Dieter Schatz and Dr.-Ing. Daniel Steffen follow in 2016, Christian Grotebrune in 2017.
Opened new offices in Nuremberg and Beijing in 2016 and in Frankfurt in 2018.
Stephan Bille is appointed to the Executive Board in 2011.
Future Prize of the Healthcare Industry 2009 for the UNITY OR Simulation, Top Consultant Award 2010 and Top Job Award 2013
Opened offices in Cologne in 2009 and in Braunschweig in 2011
Dr. Ulrich Deppe and Dr.-Ing. Hans D. Kespohl are appointed partners in 2009/2010, Markus Knobel, Rolf Stübbe, Teja Washausen and Philipp Wibbing follow in 2013.
2014: Founding of our foreign subsidiary in China, based in Shanghai
Founding of the UNITYacademy in 2005.
Stephan Bille, Martin Eilerts and Jörg Fischlein become the first partners of UNITY AG in 2006. Andreas Hinder, Magnus Meier, Alexander Suhm, Thomas Ulrich and Michael Wolf follow in 2007.
In 2007, UNITY has more than 100 employees and advises 15 of the DAX 30 companies.
Founding of a foreign subsidiary in Austria and opening of the branch office in Berlin in 2008.
Dr.-Ing. Frank Thielemann is appointed to the Executive Board in 2001.
At the end of 2001, UNITY moves into its own company headquarters in Paderborn/Büren and opens branch offices in Munich and Hamburg in the 2004/2005 financial year.
Successful healthcare market entry and founding of the foreign subsidiary in Switzerland with headquarters in Zurich in 2004.
In 2005, UNITY earns over €10 million in revenue.
Founding of UNITY AG by Tomas Pfänder, Christoph Plass and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Gausemeier on 29.09.1995.
Opening of the first branch office in Stuttgart and soon after, in Cairo in the 1999/2000 fiscal year.
The first UNITY Campus is organized in 2000 as a team event in Heide on the North Sea.

Get to know our management team

The strategic management of UNITY is assumed by the Executive Board together with the partners. The aim is to further advance UNITY's growth course as well as the growth of our customers. The Supervisory Board contributes its many years of experience and extensive expertise in future-oriented areas.

Our Management

Deutsche Beteiligungs AG

Our partner for strategic growth

After many years of above-average organic growth, UNITY laid the foundation for further growth in 2024 through a capital partnership with Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG). To continue serving complex projects both domestically and internationally with a broad range of expertise, it is important to further support our organic development with strategic growth initiatives. The current consolidation in the consulting market presents an ideal starting point for acquisitions and M&A transactions. With its close ties to small and medium-sized enterprises, its sector expertise, and the necessary cultural fit, DBAG is the ideal partner on this journey.

About DBAG

How we work

Our Consulting Approach

We offer our customers holistic consulting and enable them to position themselves successfully in the age of digitalization and sustainability.

Holistic Management

Our customers are at the center of our business activities. Together, we develop future-oriented competencies to successfully shape digital transformation.

Our Ecosystem

In the context of digital transformation, UNITY customers benefit not only from the experience and expertise of our consultants, but also from our comprehensive ecosystem.