About me – Kourosh Ghaffari
From banker to CEO to interim manager – Why I’m fighting for you today
My story: A journey through numbers, power and the art of execution
As someone with an insatiable curiosity, I was spoilt for choice after finishing school: medicine, mechanical engineering, industrial design or architecture? I was equally drawn to business, so I opted for a banking apprenticeship – with the plan to go on to university afterwards. But my employer offered me something better: a four-year management trainee programme and a posting in Japan. That’s how I ended up in banking, where I learnt the world of numbers, balance sheets, risks and loans from the ground up.
But I soon realised: numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. During my time as a corporate client manager, I learnt to familiarise myself with unfamiliar industries in a flash. I walked through businesses with entrepreneurs and listened as they described their ‘machinery’. It was often striking how different people’s ideas were about how a company actually works.
Later, in investment banking, I led international teams – without having direct authority to issue instructions. I saw just how chaotically large corporations can be organised and how poorly defined the roles of those involved are. When I later took charge of global business with German DAX companies for a Japanese bank, I experienced first-hand the negative consequences that arise when a top foreign decision-maker dictates strategy without understanding the local culture.
Then came the turning point: I took over as CEO of a medium-sized wholesale and logistics company. For the first time, I felt the full weight of responsibility – no longer as an observer, but as the person who has to pay the salaries at the end of the month. I led the strategic reorientation. And I learnt a lesson that still drives me today: The best concepts are worthless if the staff resist them. In medium-sized companies, there is no manoeuvring room to absorb fluctuations. You have to strive for the approval and cooperation of every single person.
After leaving the banking sector due to its resistance to new insights, I founded gbcc in 2011. I have combined all these experiences – the analytical acumen of a banker, the leadership skills gained in a corporate group, and the harsh reality of a CEO’s responsibility – in my work.
Today, I am not just your advisor and sparring partner. I am stepping in as interim co-CEO. This means that I view the world from an entrepreneur’s perspective. I keep an eye on the bigger picture, manage the complexities and act with the same sense of responsibility as you – though with a focus on completing the transformation that you may not be able to manage on your own due to your heavy workload.
Frequently asked questions from entrepreneurs
What sets you apart from other consultants?
When I was a CEO myself, I was surrounded by clever consultants: tax advisers, lawyers, management consultants. However, they only looked at individual pieces of the puzzle and left it to me to fit the pieces together so that an attractive picture emerged in the end.
I want to see the whole picture. I have worked hard to identify which measures not only work locally but also make a positive contribution to overall success. And I don’t just remain a consultant. I implement – with the same sense of urgency and responsibility that you yourself feel.
What’s more, I take a different approach: Many consultants present you with a “solution” at the end—exactly what many clients want to hear. I, on the other hand, formulate a well-founded hypothesis that, based on my experience and research, is highly likely to point you in the right direction.
Even if the probability were 99%, I cannot rule out with certainty that your company is among the 1% of exceptions. We’ll find that out by critically examining this hypothesis together. We’ll test it in practice, question it, and adapt it until it fits your company.
My goal isn’t to be right. My goal is for it to work.
What does the term “Interim co-CEO” mean to you?
For me, it’s not about filling a position. It’s about taking the CEO’s perspective. I don’t look at your company as an external observer, but from your point of view: what is the big picture? Where do the strategic risks lie? How do we secure long-term success? I act as if the company were my own – focusing on the overall result, not on individual aspects.
Why the E.A.G.L.E. method?
Because, as a CEO myself, I have experienced what happens when one of the steps is missing. Analysis without insight leads to treating symptoms. Solutions without buy-in lead to resistance. And doing everything without implementation leads to nothing. The E.A.G.L.E. method is not a theory – it is the distillation of my own experience: from analysing the current situation to embedding new routines.
You often speak of the ‘big picture’. What do you mean by that?
That I don’t just optimise processes or review finances. I connect everything. How does a process change affect employee motivation? How does the financial strategy influence the strategic direction? As Co-CEO, I manage these interactions so that you can focus on your vision whilst I ensure its implementation.
What is your goal for every company you support?
That they no longer need me. It sounds paradoxical, but it’s true: my goal is to build structures that function even without me. If I leave and everything remains the same – then I’ve done my job well.
Let’s talk
You’re not looking for a consultant who only looks at parts of the picture. You’re looking for a partner who sees the big picture and works with you.