Independent Strategy Consulting  ·  Geneva, Switzerland

Pragmatic strategy.
Measurable impact.

—   S T R A T E G Y .     I N S I G H T .     I M P A C T .    —

MP Strategy & Concepts SA is a Geneva-based independent strategy and management consulting firm with a 25+ year track record across North America, Europe and Asia — from Fortune 500 strategy to start-up growth and turnaround.

Marcel C. Pordes, MBA — Principal
  • MBA, Harvard Business School
  • Booz Allen Hamilton / Strategy& (now PwC Strategy&) — Project Leader across 3 continents
  • Partner, a-connect — including as Chairman & MD Asia
  • 15+ years independent consulting — MedTech, CleanTech, Retail, Dental, Consumer, Financial Services
  • BSE, University of Pennsylvania (Materials Science Engineering)
North America
Europe
Asia–Pacific
Greater China
About

Strategy that gets
built and executed.

MP Strategy & Concepts SA was founded by Marcel C. Pordes, a Geneva-based strategy consultant with over 25 years of international experience spanning management consulting, executive leadership, entrepreneurship, and interim management.

Marcel's career began at Procter & Gamble in Hamburg before he completed his MBA at Harvard Business School and joined Booz Allen Hamilton (now PwC Strategy&) in London and Singapore — one of the world's five leading global strategy consulting firms. He led international assignments across three continents in financial services, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and heavy industry.

He then built and led a-connect's Asian business as Chairman & MD Asia — starting the regional operation from scratch in Hong Kong, building client relationships, and supervising strategy consulting work across the region. In parallel, he founded and grew a luxury retail and distribution business in Greater China (later sold to a Hong Kong multi-brand group) and served as Executive Director Strategy Development for that group's three divisions.

Marcel has a particular strength in start-up and growth situations — he has built businesses from scratch, turned around loss-making operations, secured Series A funding, and stepped into interim C-suite roles across MedTech, dental, cosmetics, and clean technology. His clients range from owner-managed SMEs to mid-large corporates operating internationally.

Fluent in English, German, and French, Marcel brings both the analytical rigour of top-tier strategy consulting and the commercial credibility of someone who has actually run businesses and delivered results on the ground.

Education
MBA, Harvard Business School
BSE, University of Pennsylvania
Consulting Background
Booz Allen Hamilton / Strategy& (PwC)
Network
Partner, a-connect (incl. MD Asia)
Based
Geneva, Switzerland
Languages
English · German · French
Client Profile
SMEs to large corporates, incl. start-ups & turnarounds
Sectors
MedTech · Dental · Consumer · Retail · Financial Services · CleanTech
Geographic Reach
Switzerland
Europe
North America
Greater China
Asia–Pacific
What Sets Us Apart

Built for companies that need results, not just reports

Start-up & Growth Building

Hands-on experience building businesses from zero — including raising Series A funding, establishing European operations, and opening retail across Hong Kong, Macau and China. We know what it takes to move from plan to reality.

Turnaround & Rapid Improvement

Proven track record taking loss-making ventures and restructuring them into profitable operations — in one case within three months. We focus organisations relentlessly on what drives the bottom line.

International & Cross-Border

A career spanning three continents and four languages. We understand the cultural nuances, regulatory context, and market dynamics that make cross-border strategy succeed or fail in practice.

Services

What we
do best

Focused strategic and commercial capabilities — delivered with the rigour of a top-tier consulting background and the pragmatism of someone who has run businesses himself.

01
Corporate & Business Unit Strategy

Strategy development and execution for mid-to-large corporations and their business units — growth priorities, competitive positioning, portfolio decisions, and long-range planning grounded in rigorous analysis.

02
Market Entry & International Expansion

Market sizing, competitive landscape mapping, channel strategy, and go-to-market design for companies entering new geographies — with particular depth in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

03
Start-up Strategy & Business Building

Business plan development, commercialisation strategy, sales process design, and operational set-up for growth-stage companies — including fundraising support and investor-ready documentation.

04
Turnaround & Performance Improvement

Rapid diagnosis, restructuring, and implementation support for businesses underperforming or in distress — refocusing organisations on what drives revenue and profitability.

05
Interim Management & Executive Support

Stepping into senior commercial or strategic roles on an interim basis — as CEO, CCO, or Commercial Director — to provide continuity, leadership, and results while permanent solutions are developed.

06
M&A Strategy & Commercial Due Diligence

Strategic rationale, target assessment, commercial due diligence, and post-merger integration planning — drawn from hands-on M&A work across pharma, consumer goods, and industrial sectors.

07
Distribution & Channel Strategy

Designing and implementing distribution strategies for international brands — from luxury retail in Greater China to medical device commercialisation across Europe and North America.

Selected Track Record

Results delivered
across sectors and borders

A selection of real outcomes from 25+ years of consulting and executive work. Clients and full case details available confidentially on request.

MedTech — Orthodontics
Commercialised medical device across Europe & North America from start-up

Led all commercial operations as CEO of European subsidiary, including hiring, sales process design, and joint pilots with a global medical device player.

→ USD 5M business built in 3 years from zero
MedTech — Turnaround
Took global distribution rights from loss-making venture and rebuilt

Co-founded a medical device start-up, restructured operations and streamlined global sales engine after acquiring distribution rights.

→ Profitable within 3 months of founding
MedTech — Sales Transformation
Designed and implemented new three-step sales process

Developed "Sales Process 1.0" workshop and implementation programme for a medical device commercial team in Europe.

→ Sell-out growth from 30% to >70% YOY
Luxury Retail — Greater China
Built luxury retail & distribution business across Hong Kong, Macau & China

Secured long-term distribution rights for Swiss luxury brands including Caran d'Ache and Perrelet, opened retail across leading malls.

→ Business sold to Hong Kong multi-brand group
Consumer Goods — Distribution
Distribution strategy for international cosmetics brand in under-performing markets

Designed and implemented new distribution strategy as part of Beauty Group's European operations leadership.

→ >50% revenue growth in targeted markets
Start-up / B2B
Restructured business development for a hygiene start-up

Took on interim Commercial Director role for a spin-off from a Swiss innovation factory — redesigned sales approach and raised average prices by 25%.

→ 5x revenue growth within months
Financial Services — Southeast Asia
Operating centre improvement for a leading South-East Asian bank

Led engagement at Booz Allen Hamilton — redesigned credit processing operations for domestic and international products.

→ 50–80% reduction in processing turnaround time
a-connect Asia
Started up Asian consulting operations from scratch in Hong Kong

Developed Asian strategy, built client base, identified and recruited independent professionals across Asia and Australia.

→ Full regional operating platform established
Manufacturing — P&G
Led turnaround of beverage manufacturing unit at Procter & Gamble

Managed 30-person team with USD 5M budget, implemented high-performance work system and efficiency tracking.

→ 23% cost reduction; exceeded target by 12%

All client engagements are subject to strict confidentiality. Full case studies, client references, and project details are available upon request under appropriate non-disclosure arrangements.

Career History

25 years of building,
leading, and advising

2013 – Present
Owner & Managing Director
Black Mountain Strategy SA (now MP Strategy & Concepts SA) — Geneva, Switzerland

Independent strategy and management consulting for SMEs in MedTech, CleanTech, and related sectors. Engagements spanning strategy development, commercial due diligence, interim management, and turnaround support.

2020 – Present
Board Member & Shareholder
Medical Device Start-up — Vienna, Austria

Co-founded a medical device start-up, acquiring assets out of a bankruptcy. Re-designed and developed a new product with reliability improved by over 80% and COGS reduced by over 60%. Raised a USD 4 million seed financing round. Recently hired a CEO to run the business and transitioned to a board role.

2016 – 2020
Head of European Operations
Biolux Research SA — Geneva, Switzerland

Built European commercial operations from ground up. Hired and led sales, marketing and administration teams in Europe and North America. Designed and executed joint commercial pilots with a global medical device player (USD 24bn market cap). Helped secure USD 14M Series A funding in 2019. Served as VP International Sales & Operations for US parent entity 2019–2020.

2010 – 2013
Executive Director Strategy Development & President European Operations
The Beauty Group — Hong Kong SAR

Led group strategy across three business divisions (Beauty, Apparel, Accessories) for a Hong Kong multi-brand operator with 1,000+ retail locations across Greater China. President of European operations including Bioscreen SAS, Ingrid Millet SAS, Maud Frizon SAS, and Megantik SAS.

2006 – 2011
Owner & Managing Director
Retail Concepts Asia Ltd. — Hong Kong SAR

Built luxury retail and distribution business for Swiss brands across Greater China. Secured rights for Caran d'Ache and Perrelet. Opened retail in leading malls across Hong Kong, Macau and China. Business subsequently sold to Hong Kong multi-brand retail group.

2003 – 2006
Chairman & Managing Director Asia
a-connect — Zurich, Switzerland & Hong Kong SAR

Developed a-connect's Asian strategy and started regional operations in Hong Kong. Built client relationships, sold consulting assignments, recruited senior independent professionals across Asia and Australia, and executed strategy consulting work with an emphasis on new business development.

1998 – 2002
Project Leader & Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton — London, UK & Singapore

Led international strategy and restructuring assignments across three continents. Engagements included operating centre improvement for a Southeast Asian bank (50–80% processing time reduction), commercial vehicle merger strategy, post-merger integration in pharma and heavy-duty vehicles, and M&A and restructuring work across consumer and engineered products.

1993 – 1996
Department Manager, Beverages Manufacturing
Procter & Gamble — Hamburg, Germany

Led 30 manufacturing personnel with USD 5M operating budget and 100M+ litre annual output. Achieved 23% cost reduction (exceeding plant manager's target by 12%) through high-performance work systems, efficiency tracking, and quality assurance programmes.

Our Approach

How we
work together

Proven operating principles across 25+ years — adapted to every situation, never templated.

I
Diagnose First

We spend real time understanding your business, market, and organisation before forming conclusions. The presenting problem is rarely the real one.

II
Rigorous Analysis

Fact-based, structured thinking — built at Booz Allen Hamilton and applied across 25+ years. We surface insights that hold up under pressure from boards, investors, and markets.

III
Implementable Answers

Strategies that sit on shelves are a waste of everyone's time. We design for execution — and we can stay involved through implementation when it matters.

IV
Senior & Committed

Marcel is personally involved in every engagement from start to finish. You work directly with the most senior person in the room — ensuring continuity, accountability, and the highest quality of thinking throughout.

Contact

Let's talk about
your situation

Whether you have a specific mandate in mind, are considering an interim management arrangement, or simply want an experienced perspective on a strategic challenge — we welcome an initial conversation, entirely without obligation.

  • Firm
    MP Strategy & Concepts SA
  • Principal
    Marcel C. Pordes, MBA
  • Location
    Geneva, Switzerland
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Languages
    English · German · French