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Ivo Naumann

PartnerHong Kong

Coleads our Private Capital Practice in Greater China and Southeast Asia; cofounded McKinsey Transformation in Asia, bringing extensive experience advising investors in the Asia–Pacific region, both pre- and post-deal, to significantly enhance the performance of their portfolio companies

Ivo is a partner at McKinsey’s Hong Kong office, where he leads the Private Capital Practice and the RTS initiative, a specialized unit that delivers a proven approach for transformational change. He works with investors throughout the entire deal cycle, from deal scanning and commercial and operational diligence to post-deal value creation and exit support. Additionally, he advises leading private capital players in Asia on their top-level growth strategies.

With over 20 years of experience, Ivo has supported management and owners in significantly improving the performance of underperforming and distressed businesses in Asia, as well as leading good-to-great transformations. His career includes leadership positions as chief restructuring officer (CRO) and chief transformation officer (CTO), as well as board director roles in both privately held and public companies. His sector expertise focuses on consumer goods, industrial goods, and business services, while his functional expertise lies in restructuring and company transformations.

Some of his recent engagements include:

  • leading over 50 commercial and operational due diligence engagements with investors in Asia
  • coleading a three-year business transformation of a family-owned seafood processing company in Southeast Asia
  • leading the turnaround of a large Chinese company in the basic materials sector with several thousand employees in the role of CTO
  • implementing the restructuring of the retail business in China of a leading global retail conglomerate and serving as a member of the board of directors of the China operating entities
  • conducting crisis management with a focus on cash generation at an Asian airline in distress
  • leading the drastic improvement of the cost position at a Southeast Asian company in the maritime sector
  • leading the financial and operational restructuring of a Chinese manufacturer of building materials and serving as a member of the board of directors
  • overseeing the restructuring of steel mills in Southeast Asia, serving as a member of the board of directors, and leading a team of interim executives

Ivo was educated in Germany, Taiwan, and Japan and has lived and worked in Asia for over 20 years. He is a sought-after speaker on topics related to restructuring in Asia and a regular guest lecturer at the executive education program of a leading business school.

Published work

A playbook for private equity success in China: An interview with Jean Salata,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

How to generate alpha in Chinese private equity: An interview with Nexus Point founder KC Kung,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

Standing out in China’s private equity market: An interview with Frank Su,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

In search of alpha: Updating the playbook for private equity in China,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020

How private equity operating groups are taking on the challenge of the coronavirus,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020

Education

University of Trier
MBA with a focus on industrial marketing

Sophia University
Studies in the Department of Comparative Literature

Taipei Language Institute
Mandarin Chinese language studies