About the authors Jesko Perrey is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Düsseldorf office, advising companies on growth strategies, the development of digital business models, and a broad range of topics including commercial transformation, pricing, sales, customer experience, and digital marketing. He is a member of McKinsey’s global board, and previously led the firm’s global Growth, Marketing & Sales practice. Tjark Freundt is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Hamburg office and leads the firm’s Growth, Marketing & Sales practice in Europe. He supports clients with holistic growth transformations in marketing and sales, particularly in logistics, retail, and energy sectors across Europe, Japan, and the US. Kai Vollhardt is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Frankfurt office and heads the firm’s Growth, Marketing & Sales Practice in Germany. Since joining McKinsey in 2008, Kai has primarily focused on growth and transformation topics. Victor Fabius is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Paris office, leading the firm’s Consumer Packaged Goods & Retail practice in France and the Marketing practice in Europe. He specializes in strategy, marketing, and innovation, advising global consumer goods clients on growth through insights-driven branding, product innovation, and pricing strategy. Thomas Bauer is a partner in McKinsey’s Munich office, where he leads the firm’s work on marketing performance and commerce media. He focuses on growth and commercial transformation with expertise in brand strategy, marketing investment optimization, data monetization, and building commerce media businesses. Aurélia Bettati is a partner in McKinsey’s Paris office and co-leads the firm’s Marketing services in Europe. She has deep expertise in marketing transformation, growth strategies, brand building, personalization, and marketing efficiency, and supports companies in industries such as retail, consumer goods, hospitality, and travel. Jerome Königsfeld is a partner in McKinsey’s Cologne office and leads the firm’s growth and business building domains in Germany. He focuses on helping B2B companies drive digital growth strategies, AI applications, and digital marketing and sales. 2 State of Marketing Europe 2026