Conrad Heider has been named one of the Top 25 AI Leaders in Consulting for 2025 by The Consulting Report. In this conversation, he shares insights from his journey, reflects on the future of AI, and offers advice for aspiring consultants.
Conrad Heider, Partner and COO at Simon-Kucher, is shaping the future of digital growth. As Co-Head of Simon-Kucher Elevate, he leads the firm’s global integration of AI, data, and innovation, delivering transformative solutions that scale.
With over 200 digital transformation projects to his name and a career that spans consulting and tech leadership, Conrad has become a trusted voice in the field. We’re excited to see him recognized by The Consulting Report as one of the Top 25 AI Consultants and Leaders of 2025 for the second year in a row.
As the business world continues to accelerate through AI, automation, and analytics, we’re eager to learn more about the mindset behind the momentum. In this conversation, Conrad shares with us what the road ahead looks like. We also get a closer look at the career journey, leadership values, and personal passions that shape his approach.
Congratulations on being named one of The Consulting Report’s Top 25 AI Consultants and Leaders for the second year in a row! What does that recognition mean to you?
Conrad: In all honesty, I think it's more a recognition of the work of the team than of myself, because everything we do in the market for our clients is, after all, a result of the excellent work our team does. I'm grateful for what they are doing, how they're contributing, how they're pushing the edge of what we’re offering for our clients when it comes to AI and data. It means a lot to me because the work of the team is recognized.
AI is reshaping the way companies think about growth. How do you help clients separate the hype from meaningful use cases?
Conrad: That is a fundamental question because the hype is real. I’ve spoken with many clients and decision-makers who have just started their AI journey. They’ve already spent millions, bought solutions, and built AI teams, but they’re not seeing results.
They struggle because the most important question often isn’t asked at the beginning: What do we want to achieve? What is the outcome we’re aiming for in terms of growth, top-line impact, or bottom-line impact?
That’s the first question we ask. We begin with what the business truly needs to succeed. Once that is clear, we look at the technical solution.
Sometimes, the answer is not AI. It might be something simpler. It could be a first step, a prototype, or an initial move that helps start the journey toward an AI-driven future.
If you could fast-forward five years, what would you hope to see AI solving that it can’t quite handle today?
Conrad: Right now, many clients, and we as consultants, tend to use AI to replace tasks that humans already do, like creating marketing content, finding better price points, or contacting sales leads through a CRM.
But that should not be the outcome in five years. This way of thinking shows that we are not yet able to fully imagine what AI can really do. As with any new technology, we often default to automation and use it to automate what already exists. Instead, we should use it for transformation.
I do not have the answer to what exactly AI will mean in five years. But imagine you have a colleague who knows everything, is always available, can reach anyone in any time zone, and is highly skilled in sales, marketing, pricing, strategy. What would that colleague do for your business? Would you really just use them to automate the tasks you are doing today? Or would you start thinking about entirely new possibilities?
How do you foster a culture of innovation across such a large, global organization?
Conrad: With Elevate, our digital team, and Engine, our software company, we have built two units whose sole purpose is to drive our thinking and stay at the forefront when it comes to technology, data, and AI. These units were created to deliver leading-edge advice in this field, as well as technologies and software solutions that help grow the top line.
Additionally, we are not only driving technological adoption externally, but also internally within Simon-Kucher. We are actively integrating AI and similar technologies into our consulting work to see where it can take us. Right now, we are developing various formats for exchange and learning, including both structured and unstructured innovation cycles. These give consultants, as well as colleagues working in corporate roles, the opportunity to contribute to how we use technology within the firm.
What’s a common misconception people have about consulting, and how would you set the record straight?
Conrad: The number one misconception is probably this idea that a consultant shows up, delivers a nice PowerPoint with some advice, and then leaves without any real impact. I think that is genuinely not true for the work we do at Simon-Kucher. For us, it is not about PowerPoint slides. It is about what our clients do with the advice and how it drives measurable growth.
Another common misconception is that consultants just interview the whole organization and then tell the client what they already know. That might happen sometimes. But if you take a topic like AI, for example, the job of the consultant is to bring expertise that the client does not yet have. We bring in outside knowledge, experience, and insight into emerging topics that are not yet embedded in the organization. Clients hire consultants for a reason. They hire them to get real advice that helps them change how their business operates and to learn something new.
What’s one lesson from outside the world of consulting (for e.g., sports, art, life) that influences how you lead and build teams?
Conrad: I believe we should give everyone, whether it is our team members, ourselves, or our clients, the opportunity to become their best selves. That is something I have practiced and learned outside of consulting as well.
Before joining Simon-Kucher, I was a part of the management team at one of Europe’s leading fitness apps. I enjoy sports and was a CrossFit enthusiast for ten years before my daughter was born. Now I have less time. But that is the whole point. It is about giving people the chance to become their best selves.
You provide support, but also the opportunity to take on challenges. That is very similar to how we work at Simon-Kucher.
It also reflects how I approached CrossFit. Every challenge required learning, repetition, and the willingness to fail before getting it right. Progress comes through persistence. That is a principle I truly believe in.
What’s a secret interest or guilty pleasure you have that people might be surprised to learn about?
Conrad: I’m a huge hip hop fan. I have LPs all over the place and I have always loved rap music. I am into everything from conscious rap to more intense tracks. I actually used to make rap music myself for many years. My rap artist name is tattooed on my back, so I guess that counts.
What’s the best piece of career advice you ever received?
Conrad: The best career advice I received came a bit later in my journey, when I was already a manager. My mentor noticed how much effort I put in – every detail, every word, every note. It worked, but it was exhausting.
He asked me, “Did you ever fail doing that?” I said no. He replied, “So why don’t you trust yourself that it will be good?”
That stuck with me. I see the same in many young consultants today. They are ambitious and eager but sometimes forget to trust in their own abilities. There is a reason we hired them. They have the skills, and they do not need to do things the way they have always been done. We brought them in to bring their own way.
We want to give them the opportunity to shine. Because, as I said before, I believe everyone should have the chance to become the best version of themselves.