Trust Over Trends: The People Business Behind Digital Transformation
Interview with Hasan Tekin, CEO of Wavestone Consulting Switzerland AG
In an industry crowded with firms offering nearly identical expertise, what actually keeps clients coming back for 20 years? For Wavestone, the European business and IT consultancy with a strong presence in Switzerland, the answer has little to do with methodology and everything to do with people. Formed through the 2023 merger of Wavestone and Q_PERIOR, the firm now counts around 6,000 employees across 17 countries — yet insists its real differentiator isn’t scale, but culture. Hasan Tekin, Managing Director of Wavestone Switzerland, explains why.
European Business: Mr. Tekin, Wavestone as we know it today is a relatively young name. What’s the story behind it?
Hasan Tekin: Wavestone is the product of a series of entrepreneurial growth steps that go back to 1990. The decisive moment for the company as it stands today was the 2023 merger of Wavestone and Q_PERIOR. Q_PERIOR was strong across German-speaking Europe with outposts in the UK and US, while Wavestone had built its strength primarily in the French-speaking market, also with a presence in the UK and US. Bringing the two together created a company of over 6,000 people generating close to EUR 950 million in revenue and turned us from a primarily national or regional consultancy into an international firm with a strong European identity.
European Business: How is the business positioned specifically in Switzerland?
Hasan Tekin: In Switzerland, we’re 360 people generating around CHF 80 million in revenue. What’s important is that we’re neither a pure strategy consultancy nor a technology company that simply implements systems. We’ve always been a business and IT consultancy.
Our ambition is to support clients holistically through major transformation projects, from business consulting to large-scale SAP transformations. Two pillars are especially central to our 2030 strategy, “Lead the Shift”: data and AI, and cybersecurity, where we’re likely one of the largest providers in Europe.
European Business: Who are your typical clients?
Hasan Tekin: We’re not a consultancy for small and medium-sized businesses. Our focus lies with large and upper-mid-sized companies as well as public sector organizations facing complex transformation projects. We’re particularly strong in financial services, energy and utilities, and in transport and logistics. Most major European railways are our clients.
European Business: Artificial intelligence is transforming almost every industry. How is it changing consulting itself?
Hasan Tekin: We’re affected from two sides. On one hand, we help our clients digitalize and integrate AI into their business models and processes. On the other, we ourselves are undergoing the same transformation as a consultancy. I don’t think the question anymore is whether AI will change our industry, but how fast and how fundamentally that change is already happening. Many tasks that today still make up a substantial share of classic consulting work will increasingly be automated or AI-supported. That doesn’t mean the role of the consultant disappears, but it changes. There will be less time spent on repetitive tasks, which is exactly what junior consultants have traditionally done. I believe their role will shift especially: they’ll take on responsibility earlier and use AI and AI agents as natural working tools from day one. If anything, I think younger consultants will adapt even faster than experienced colleagues. Experience, judgment, industry understanding and creativity will only become more valuable.
European Business: With so many firms offering similar services, what sets Wavestone apart?
Hasan Tekin: Consulting remains – and I hope will remain – a people business. Our culture is built on trust, collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking. Many consultancies offer the same topics; we want to differentiate ourselves not by what we do, but by how we do it. We call it the “Positive Way,” introduced from day one, reflecting our belief that business success goes hand in hand with a positive employee experience. We screen very consistently for cultural fit in recruiting. In the end, clients don’t simply buy a brand or a presentation. They trust people, and that trust is built over years.
European Business: Looking ahead, what are Wavestone’s ambitions?
Hasan Tekin: As a group, we recently defined our “Lead the Shift” strategy through 2030, which includes growing revenue to around EUR 1.4 billion. But our ambition goes beyond a revenue figure. We want to become the leading partner for our clients in two areas in particular: AI-driven transformation and cybersecurity. I don’t see AI as just another service line. It’s a technology that will transform every consulting discipline we combine. Size genuinely matters here: a few years ago, with only 20 cybersecurity specialists, we couldn’t get a meeting with certain clients. Today, with over 800 people in that field, we’re recognized as a serious player. Our goal is to become the long-term partner for our clients’ most important transformations.