Strategy. Transformation. China Expertise.
Built from the inside. Proven in practice.
Steffen Edlinger advises automotive and industrial companies on strategy, M&A, product strategy, and transformation — with 17 years of experience on the OEM, supplier, and top-tier consulting side.
About
A strategy expert with nearly two decades of experience in the automotive and supplier industry. As former Vice President JVs/Partnerships & Strategy APAC at HELLA, Team Leader Product Strategy at Volkswagen China, and Senior Consultant at Strategy& (PwC), he brings a rare combination: hands-on operational leadership, top-tier consulting expertise, and deep China market knowledge built over eight years on the ground.
My Services
Strategy & Transformation
As specialists in corporate strategy and M&A, we deliver tailored solutions for sustainable growth.
Brand, Product & Customer
With our customer-centric approach, we support your path to successful products, services, and brands — built to meet real needs and inspire loyalty.
Competitiveness, Resilience & Operational Excellence
Competitive cost structures, resilient supply chains, and excellent processes — built to compete with Chinese challengers and withstand the pressures of a fragmented global economy.
Go-to-Market, Relocation & Cross-Cultural Management
Building bridges between markets and people — East and West, fostering growth and superior competitiveness.
PMO, Interim Management & Foresight
Thought-provoking theses, data-driven insights, and concrete recommendations — interim and project management that delivers.
Results That Speak for Themselves
JV Turnaround & Transformation — Tier 1 Supplier
Full realignment of a Chinese joint venture — including a complete redesign of the operating model and a strategic pivot toward the high-growth NEV segment.
Time-to-market: –50% · Development cost per project: –75% · Utilization above 100% within 2 years
PortfolioPortfolio Turnaround for the Market Leader
Full portfolio strategy realignment in the world’s largest automotive market — 9+ successful vehicle concepts defined across SUV, MPV, and sedan segments, from idea through feasibility.
Compact SUV sales volume scaled from 200K to 600K+ units per year
Joint Venture Creation via M&A
Built a joint venture with a local partner from initial contact through to profitability — steering due diligence, negotiations, planning, and ramp-up.
Product group sales scaled from 1M to 4M units · Double-digit EBIT margin
Brand Relaunch of a Heritage Icon
Concept, strategy, and brand positioning for the relaunch of a product icon as a standalone sub-brand.
Most successful brand launch in China at that time: >1% market share in year one
Robotaxi Market Leadership Forecasted
Early prediction of China’s robotaxi market leadership — as early as 2019, based on a comprehensive market and consumer study.
My Approach
70–90% of all corporate strategies do fail. Unrealistic expectations, cultural gaps, and a lack of coherence lead to inefficiency, conflict, and the proverbial hockey sticks. My consulting approach targets precisely these failure modes:
Strategy Meets Insight
Customer understanding and market transparency are the foundation of every sound strategy. Our analysis is fact-based, our feedback transparent — sometimes uncomfortable, but always effective.
Culture and Leadership First
Only a leadership team that stands behind a shared vision and lives its values can drive successful transformation. Our collaborative approach empowers teams to deliver pragmatic, lasting results.
Be Bold. Be Brave. Speed Is the Key.
Agility is not a process — it’s a mindset. We address the biggest levers first, instead of optimizing the matrix. China speed is our benchmark.
Think Competitiveness Holistically
Only when products, designs, and processes are built for efficiency and competitiveness from day one, companies can remain profitable in today’s market environment.
Perspectives
Total Write-Off?
The first insider book to diagnose the crisis in the German automotive industry, analyze the challengers — and deliver a concrete transformation roadmap with Operation Phoenix. (German title: Totalschaden?)
Non-fiction · approx. 240 pages · Publishing Q4/2026
The Phoenix Approach
Radical transformation inspired by Chinese challengers. The Phoenix method is designed for automotive and supplier companies that need to reposition themselves in the face of Chinese competitive dynamics and the mobility transition.
A company self-assessment tool will be available on this page in the coming weeks.
Product Strategy, Co-Creation & Innovation
Extensive experience in product definition and development at the intersection of market research, co-creation, and strategic product planning — with more than 10 successful vehicle concepts to our name.
Viewpoints — Straight to Your Inbox
Current analysis and perspectives from the world of mobility, transformation, and China strategy.
Latest publications
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Ghost rider Europe: While Germany regulates, China and the U.S. accelerate on Robotaxis
Why the future belongs to the (individual) robotaxi — and why Germany and the EU, weighed down by fragmentation, toxic…
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Loving Your Own Idea More Than the Customer: Lessons from Ferrari and Jaguar Stumbling Into the Electric Age
Electrification did not break Ferrari and Jaguar. Their own product strategists did. The Ferrari Luce backlash and Jaguar’s collapse offer…
Ready to Get Started?
Let’s shape your transformation together — practice-driven, customer-focused, and with deep China expertise.