Latest news from MK Consulting
12 / 2023
Review of 2023 - Outlook for 2024
First things first - this year has once again shown how difficult and challenging it is in the current market environment to "just" implement plans that were made at the beginning of the year, and how important characteristics such as flexibility, responsiveness and empathy have become for companies today. In addition, it has once again become clear that an international approach is of the utmost importance, particularly in the field of management consulting and the sports industry, and that the route to the customer and analysing and working on projects & customers on site are decisive success factors.
It is also becoming increasingly clear that the chosen strategic approach of diversification is the right path to successful development for MK Consulting GmbH and that the many years of building and maintaining personal relationships across different industries and sectors are important success factors.
Taking into account the factors just described, the foundation & major investments in the projects of "Unique Soccer Cooperations - USC GmbH" and the company "DKB GmbH - Die Karrierebegleiter" took place in the first quarter of 2023. I was also able to take over the management of both companies in order to play a leading role in the founding process and strategic orientation. In addition, the continuous development of a young team coupled with the experience of the shareholders in the various specialist areas and the international orientation not only makes sense, but is also a lot of fun!
The advisory work for the Vienna Vikings in the ELF, for ESPORTIDO - in both cases also as a shareholder - but also for ACTIVO Investment (with new areas such as care, real estate combined with the familiar areas of (sports) financing and M&A projects) and FANINVEST (Crowdfunding and microsponsoring) are also exciting, very instructive and horizon-broadening projects. The fact that sponsorships for the Vienna Vikings, the ÖVL (Austrian Volleyball League) and in basketball for the Vienna Timberwolves were also successfully brokered rounds off the successful activities in this area in 2023!
I was also able to push ahead with international expansion this year. In the course of USC GmbH, the contact network in South America, the USA, the Nordic and Baltic states, but also in Asia and most recently in North Africa, was consistently expanded; a special topic was the start of numerous projects with INDIA, where the development work started in Q2 will be realised in some business areas from 2024. We will then regularly make our expertise available several times a year in target group-specific events, give young Indians the opportunity to gain experience in soccer in the D-A-CH region or offer doctors and lawyers from India targeted further training both locally and in Austria. Participation in the FOOTBALL CONGRESSES in Austria, Germany and Switzerland was also used to expand and intensify international contacts. I am convinced that USC GmbH will ultimately succeed in achieving sustainable and economic success in this business area too! At the same time, however, contacts will also be made via the sports projects, which will then also be very valuable in the other business areas. In this context, reference can also be made to the cooperation with the forward-looking SPORT LEADING CERTIFICATION project.
In retrospect, an appointment on January 3rd, 2023 at Vienna Airport with KENSTON owner and CEO Sebastian Uckermann was decisive and trend-setting for the short and medium-term development of MK Consulting GmbH - understanding the basic idea of KENSTON Pension and helping to acquire new partners in the German SME sector through my network is a new and extremely exciting and horizon-expanding task for me. The very efficient and clearly structured handling of this market segment is also one of the secrets of KENSTON Pension's success in this area. At the same time, helping to develop the "KENSTON Business" brand and acting as Managing Director of the subsidiaries in Germany, Austria and the UAE are new, time-consuming tasks, but they are planned for long-term success! Being able to play a leading role in such a project is not only an appealing task for me, but also exciting because I can make the most of my many years of experience in managing and structuring (sub)companies, while also getting to know new business areas and developments in areas such as health data, renewable energies and waste management! And seeing the dynamism with which new opportunities are emerging in the GCC region in particular is extremely valuable for my personal development, but also for the know-how for MK Consulting GmbH! The fact that personal friendships and high esteem develop from this rounds off the overall picture perfectly. I am very grateful to the KENSTON owners Sebastian Uckermann and Patrick Drees for being part of this story!
Last but not least, I was able to successfully continue my work for the IFI (International Football Institute), on the one hand in the consulting area (club analyses) and on the other hand in the "Organisation in Sport/Football" and "International Association Management" courses, as well as teaching the "Organisation & Personnel" module as part of the "Campus of the Austrian Football League"! I am delighted with the positive feedback I have received from many students and will be happy to continue my lecturing activities in 2024! But in close cooperation with IFI founder and co-owner Prof. Dr. Florian Kainz and his team, we will also continue on the path of international expansion (both in the area of teaching and consulting).
My special thanks go to my numerous partners and clients, who have placed their trust in me and successfully developed many projects with me, and to my family, who have supported me in all my activities with a great deal of understanding for the high degree of time flexibility!
2024 will certainly be another very exciting year - in a market environment that remains highly volatile, I look forward to successfully continuing the projects I have already started and I am already very excited to see what exciting new tasks will arise! The consistent further development of our corporate strategy coupled with our openness to new trends and projects will continue to determine our actions in the new year!
