International management consultant firm Arthur D. Little has appointed Klaus von den Hoff, 51, to lead its global TIME practice (Telecommunications, Information, Media and Electronics). In his new post as global head of practice with an international team of 200 specialist consultants, von den Hoff will be responsible for the service of global and international players in the telecommunications and media market.
Von den Hoff brings many years of experience in the telecommunications and media sector to his new role, and his goal is to position the TIME Practice even more strongly as an innovative, forward and lateral thinker, particularly in the area of convergence and broadband technologies. The practice will help customers deal with shifts in the market and the development of new growth strategies.
Commenting on his plans for the TIME division, von den Hoff said: "As a result of the convergence of markets we are facing radical changes across the whole telecommunications market. The current business model of larger integrated suppliers is coming under more pressure since the loss of telephone customers cannot be offset in the long term by increases in DSL. We anticipate that broadband access will soon be standard for every household. Differentiation, in the face of more alternatives from cable, unbundled access, alternative providers and mobile broadband, will become increasingly difficult for telecommunications companies."
Another of van den Hoff's challenges is the essential repositioning of almost all players in the digital era by establishing a more sustained differentiation by content and multi-access platforms. Until recently, conventional telecoms providers would have covered every link in the value-added chain (infrastructure, service platforms, services and contents, customer management, marketing and sales) by themselves. In the future, the demand for new service combinations and increased competition at every level requires market participants to analyse inherited structures, develop innovative market approaches themselves and invest in the development of new cross-sectoral partnership models.
Previously, Klaus von den Hoff was responsible for building the business of CSMG Adventis, corporate advisers specialising in TIME markets in Central Europe. Before that he was Managing Director of the European TIME practice at corporate advisers Mercer for over 20 years.