Hermann Simon

Who Is Hermann Simon?

Hermann Simon is the founder and Honorary Chairman of Simon-Kucher & Partners, a global leader in pricing and growth consulting with 47 offices and 2,200 employees worldwide. An authority in strategy, marketing, and pricing, Simon is recognized internationally for his expertise and influence, being the only German included in the *Thinkers50 Hall of Fame*—the list of the world’s most prominent management thinkers. In the German-speaking world, he is continuously voted as the most influential living management thinker, and *Cicero* magazine ranks him among the top 100 German intellectuals. In China, his impact is honored with the *Hermann Simon Business School*, named after him.

What is his Background?

Simon began his career as a professor of Business Administration and Marketing, teaching at German universities including Mainz and Bielefeld, and holding visiting professorships at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Business School, Stanford, INSEAD, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1985 to 1988, he led Germany’s foremost executive education institute, now the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin.

Beyond academia, Simon pioneered in corporate management, co-initiating Germany’s first SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) and search fund. His more than 40 books—translated into 30 languages—include bestsellers like *Hidden Champions*, a groundbreaking work on little-known global market leaders. His recent books include *Hidden Champions in the Chinese Century* (2021) and *Beating Inflation* (2022). Simon’s experiences are documented in *Two Worlds, One Life: A Remarkable Journey from Farmhouse to the Global Stage*, a 2022 autobiography tracing his path from rural roots to global influence.