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Holger Hürtgen

Brings deep expertise in data analytics, with a focus on marketing- and sales-growth issues in customer-facing industries, such as telecommunications, banking, and retail, including online retail

Holger is globally recognized for his knowledge of cutting-edge advanced analytics, including machine-learning techniques and artificial intelligence (AI). He brings deep expertise in tech-enabled transformation, marketing and consumer analytics, and capability building in analytics through the firm’s Analytics Academy.

Examples of Holger’s recent client experience include the following:

  • leading a large retail conglomerate’s tech-enabled transformation, which included building an at-scale school of analytics and technology
  • developing several personalization-at-scale programs at retailers to maximize customer experience and lifetime value through more targeted cross- and upselling as well as customer-tailored discounts
  • designing a merchandizing-analytics-optimization program at a global grocery company, with a focus on data-driven assortment and promotion optimization
  • customizing an AI approach to revolutionize chemical-formulation processes at a German specialty chemical company

Before joining McKinsey, Holger served as a lecturer at a university in the United States and as a software developer and analytic consultant at a university in Germany.

Published work

LLM to ROI: How to scale gen AI in retail,” McKinsey & Company, August 2024

“Pushing granular decisions through analytics,” McKinsey & Company, May 2022

Grocers can fuel growth with advanced analytics,” McKinsey & Company, June 2021

Rethinking AI talent strategy as automated machine learning comes of age,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

Predictive sales forecasting: Is your finance function up to code?,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

How AI is reshaping marketing and sales,” The New Economy, December 2018

Künstliche Intelligenz: Bereit für Marketing und Vertrieb von morgen,” The New Economy, November 2018

Artificial intelligence—how advanced analytics and smart machines will change the way we work,” McKinsey & Company, July 2018

Achieving business impact with data,” McKinsey & Company, April 2018

Der smarte weg zu mehr wachstum und Eetrag,” Akzente, McKinsey & Company, March 2018

Künstliche Intelligenz,” Akzente, McKinsey & Company, February 2017

Past experience

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Lecturer

RWTH Aachen University
Software developer, analytic consultant

Education

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
MS, mathematics

Aachen University of Applied Sciences
BS, technomathematics