What Roland Berger actually looks for
Roland Berger, founded in Munich, is the largest strategy consulting firm headquartered in Europe rather than the US, and that European identity genuinely shapes its culture and client base, with particularly strong practices in automotive, industrials, and manufacturing given Germany's industrial base. Interviewers often value candidates with genuine cross-border and language fluency, since the firm operates across many European markets with real local nuance rather than a single homogeneous approach exported from one headquarters. Like other top strategy firms, case interviews are central to Roland Berger's process, but the firm's automotive and industrial practice depth means cases in those sectors can go deeper into manufacturing economics, supply chain, and technology transitions, like the shift to EVs, than a generalist case at a US-headquartered firm might. Fit interviews at Roland Berger also tend to explore genuine interest in international, cross-cultural work, given how much the firm's engagements span multiple European countries.
Common questions and how to answer them
How would you advise a European automotive supplier facing disruption from the shift to electric vehicles? is a realistic case for Roland Berger's strong automotive and industrials practice, and a good answer engages with real supply chain and technology transition dynamics rather than generic strategy frameworks. Tell me about a time you worked across different cultures or in a language other than your native one reflects the firm's genuinely international, European-rooted client base and team structure. Why Roland Berger instead of a US-headquartered strategy firm? is a fair question to expect, and a strong answer engages with the firm's distinct European identity and industrial sector depth rather than treating it as interchangeable with any other large consultancy.
How to prepare
Practice standard case interview structures, but lean into industrial, automotive, and manufacturing scenarios specifically, since that's where Roland Berger has particularly deep expertise relative to some competitors. If you have language skills or genuine cross-border experience within Europe, prepare to discuss them specifically, since the firm's international, multi-market client base makes this a real asset. Have a genuine, specific answer ready for why you want a European-headquartered firm rather than a US one, interviewers want more than a generic answer about firm prestige.