MHP Consulting UK marks a decade in automotive work

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

MHP Consulting UK has marked its 10th anniversary as parent company MHP approaches its 30th year.

The Reading-based consultancy has built its UK business in the automotive sector since launching in 2016, working with carmakers and suppliers including Aston Martin, Bentley, McLaren and INEOS.

MHP Consulting UK is owned by MHP, the German management and IT consultancy that is part of Porsche. In the UK, it has focused on digital transformation projects for automotive clients, spanning strategy, process design and implementation.

Chief Executive Officer Bodo Philipp said the business had grown by combining domestic market knowledge with support from the wider group.

He said: “For ten years, we have combined local market knowledge with international expertise to successfully deliver complex projects. Our focus is not on concepts, but on measurable implementation – directly within our clients’ organizations and infrastructures.”

One of the firm’s best-known UK assignments has been its work with Aston Martin on an online vehicle configurator. The system allows customers and dealers to customise vehicles through real-time 3D visualisation and virtual reality.

The configurator has been available globally since 2021 and was upgraded last year using Unreal Engine. MHP described the platform as a central part of the carmaker’s vehicle personalisation offering, linking digital tools with the purchasing experience.

Automotive Focus

The consultancy’s client list reflects its focus on premium and specialist vehicle manufacturers, an area where Britain retains a strong industrial base despite wider pressure on automotive production and supply chains.

Alongside projects such as the Aston Martin configurator, MHP Consulting UK provides services in business process outsourcing, data analytics, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning and cyber security.

That mix of services reflects how consulting firms tied to industrial groups are seeking long-term roles within manufacturers’ operations, particularly as software, customer systems and factory processes increasingly overlap.

According to the company, MHP has around 4,500 employees worldwide and serves about 300 clients. Beyond automotive, it also works across manufacturing, aerospace, the public sector and defence.

Expansion Plans

The UK unit is also broadening its focus beyond automotive into aerospace and defence. The move would apply its experience in digital transformation, manufacturing operations and supply chain projects to industries facing similar operational demands.

That expansion comes as consultancy groups with manufacturing roots seek positions in sectors with long procurement cycles, complex compliance requirements and pressure to modernise ageing systems.

MHP’s finance leadership said the UK business had grown from a small initial idea into a more established operation over the past decade.

Zimmermann said: “Watching our UK subsidiary grow over the past ten years has been especially rewarding for me. What began as a simple idea has evolved into a successful and sustainable business, built together with our partners. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this success.”

The parent company is headquartered in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and provides management and IT consulting across the value chain, including factory planning, supply chain management, cyber security, artificial intelligence, programme management and platforms.

In the UK, the anniversary highlights how specialist consulting firms linked to major industrial brands are seeking a larger share of technology and operations work as manufacturers reshape sales systems, supply networks and production processes.

From Reading, MHP Consulting UK has spent the past decade building relationships with British automotive groups while positioning itself for work in adjacent industrial sectors.