Michael Zintel
Michael combines in-depth mobility and transportation experience with innovative, hands-on strategy and organization expertise to help clients anticipate, innovate and transform.
Education
EBS University of Business and Law
Master of Business Administration/Diplom-Kaufmann
Michael is Managing Partner, leading Arthur D. Little and Switzerland. Based in our Frankfurt office, he is a member of our Travel & Transportation Practice.
Since joining Arthur D. Little in 2005, Michael has worked in all sub-industries of travel & transportation, namely rail, logistics, aviation, tourism, tolling, urban transportation and neighboring industries such as automotive and the public sector.
Examples of his work include strategy development, intercompany as well as open innovation initiatives, digitalization, integrated mobility platforms and transformation, including reorganization, governance and change management.
Michael has a passion for sports and traveling.
The future of mobility 5.0
Changing gear in the journey toward sustainable mobility
End-to-end incident management in transport: A key driver of customer excellence
Performance around punctuality (and regularity) has not made enough progress in reaching customers’ high standards in spite of many programs. Similarly, the occurrence of other adverse events — faulty passenger information, defective seats — and the absence of prompt, satisfactory treatment of such issues generate disappointment, which may offset any positive customer experiences. In this Viewpoint, we reflect on the levers transport operators should put in place to better prevent, identify, and control operational incidents — and boost customer satisfaction.
Aviation year zero – New non-aero revenues
Retail shops, food & beverage outlets and car parks are perceived as integral parts of an airport. These so-called “non-aero revenues” have long been a reliable and profitable source of income for airports. However, in recent years, airports’ vital income source has been under attack. Now, due to the COVID-19 crisis, airport terminals around the world are deserted. Is COVID-19 the last bullet that will break airports’ fortress?
Lost in transformation
Transformation has arrived in the transportation & logistics industry. However, we have only just witnessed the start of an extensive change process that will shake up the balance of power. Players unable to adapt to the new reality will face immense pressure, as entire business models are at stake.
The low-cost puzzle for long-haul trains
Long-haul (high-speed) rail has been gaining popularity globally in recent years – especially in Western Europe and East Asia. Due to the growing popularity among travelers and branching out of incumbent operators, it is likely that we will see diversification of business models in the near future. The airline industry saw such diversification in the late 1990s. Here, low-cost-carrier models have been particularly successful. Recently, the low-cost movement has also started to transform the coach industry. Could rail be next?
The Future of Mobility 3.0
The mobility landscape is being completely reshaped, and urban mobility poses a massive challenge to metropolitan authorities and businesses as well as great opportunities. The global demand for passenger mobility in urbanized areas is set to double by 2050. Meanwhile, the number of individual journeys taken on a daily basis has grown massively since 2015, thereby putting increased pressure on existing urban mobility systems.
Integrated Mobility Platforms
Global trends towards urbanization are confronting cities and governments with new sets of challenges related to public safety and security, the supply and consumption of energy, waste treatment, and traffic management. In 2013 alone, the cost of congestion in the US – defined as fuel plus opportunity costs (time) – totaled 124bn USD. In metropolitan areas, smart mobility turns out to be one of the most difficult topics and, at the same time, one with the most impactful prospects to face.
Is tender excellence on your radar?
Tender management remains one of the most business-critical jobs for logistics companies. A significant share of revenue is generated from bids, with the aggregated value of tenders amounting up to billions of euros p.a. for large organizations.
Digital platforms in freight transportation
The wind of change is blowing strongly in transportation & logistics. Digitization is in full swing: it is opening a whole portfolio of new opportunities to reduce costs, differentiate product offerings and redefine business models. Digital freight platforms are driving the transformation. The narrow focus on clearly delineated market segments currently restricts their disruption potential. However, the longterm effect on the industry can be immense, as other sectors have shown.
Airports 4.0
Airports are at the fore-front of global challenges and innovations of our society and business, among which Digital Transformation. Arthur D. Little highlights the impact of Digital Transformation on Airport Economics.
Integrierte Logistikdienstleister unter Druck
Wie lange dauert es, bis Managemententscheidungen an der Basis Ihres Unternehmens angekommen sind? Wir meinen hier nicht die einmalige „Chefentscheidung“ – denn die funktioniert meistens. Oftmals entfalten Maßnahmen zur nachhaltigen Steigerung der Profitabilität nicht die gewünschte Wirkung oder Projekte zum Customer Relationship Management kommen nicht an der Kundenschnittstelle an; die Lenkungsimpulse verfehlen ihr Ziel. Verkürzt kann man hier über eine „Governance Schwäche“ reden.
The Change Side of Transformation - A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
In the new era of "Hypercompetition", companies increasingly need to be agile enough to reinvent and transform themselves. In this article the authors take a closer look at transformation, focusing on the human or change management aspects which are widely recognized as the key obstacles to success.
Future of mobility – Driving differentiation in a world of disruption and creativity
Mobility systems face increasing pressures from rising demand and new market entrants. The latest Arthur D. Little Urban Mobility Index shows that mobility systems in the average city operate at less than half of their potential – this article explains the five key dimensions that players must embrace if they are to successfully transform themselves.
Logistics 4.0 – Facing digitalization- driven disruption
At a time of market transformation, legacy logistics players (LLPs) risk being held back by the weight of their past, with static organizations, old IT systems, and complex processes preventing them from competing. As Logistics 4.0 becomes a reality, how can LLPs set their future strategies and ensure they are focusing on the right areas to become digital champions? This article sets out a potential framework that players can use to manage competing priorities and ensure that investments deliver digital transformation.
Urban mobility – Learnings from the Middle East
The Middle East may have been late to urbanization, but this has provided a unique opportunity to shape its urban-mobility strategies. Rather than adopting a piecemeal approach, leaders such as Dubai are following an ecosystem model that addresses mobility holistically. In this article, the authors explain this new model and the lessons it provides for other cities across the world as they struggle to meet their own urban-mobility challenges.
Michael is Managing Partner, leading Arthur D. Little and Switzerland. Based in our Frankfurt office, he is a member of our Travel & Transportation Practice.
Since joining Arthur D. Little in 2005, Michael has worked in all sub-industries of travel & transportation, namely rail, logistics, aviation, tourism, tolling, urban transportation and neighboring industries such as automotive and the public sector.
Examples of his work include strategy development, intercompany as well as open innovation initiatives, digitalization, integrated mobility platforms and transformation, including reorganization, governance and change management.
Michael has a passion for sports and traveling.
The future of mobility 5.0
Changing gear in the journey toward sustainable mobility
End-to-end incident management in transport: A key driver of customer excellence
Performance around punctuality (and regularity) has not made enough progress in reaching customers’ high standards in spite of many programs. Similarly, the occurrence of other adverse events — faulty passenger information, defective seats — and the absence of prompt, satisfactory treatment of such issues generate disappointment, which may offset any positive customer experiences. In this Viewpoint, we reflect on the levers transport operators should put in place to better prevent, identify, and control operational incidents — and boost customer satisfaction.
Aviation year zero – New non-aero revenues
Retail shops, food & beverage outlets and car parks are perceived as integral parts of an airport. These so-called “non-aero revenues” have long been a reliable and profitable source of income for airports. However, in recent years, airports’ vital income source has been under attack. Now, due to the COVID-19 crisis, airport terminals around the world are deserted. Is COVID-19 the last bullet that will break airports’ fortress?
Lost in transformation
Transformation has arrived in the transportation & logistics industry. However, we have only just witnessed the start of an extensive change process that will shake up the balance of power. Players unable to adapt to the new reality will face immense pressure, as entire business models are at stake.
The low-cost puzzle for long-haul trains
Long-haul (high-speed) rail has been gaining popularity globally in recent years – especially in Western Europe and East Asia. Due to the growing popularity among travelers and branching out of incumbent operators, it is likely that we will see diversification of business models in the near future. The airline industry saw such diversification in the late 1990s. Here, low-cost-carrier models have been particularly successful. Recently, the low-cost movement has also started to transform the coach industry. Could rail be next?
The Future of Mobility 3.0
The mobility landscape is being completely reshaped, and urban mobility poses a massive challenge to metropolitan authorities and businesses as well as great opportunities. The global demand for passenger mobility in urbanized areas is set to double by 2050. Meanwhile, the number of individual journeys taken on a daily basis has grown massively since 2015, thereby putting increased pressure on existing urban mobility systems.
Integrated Mobility Platforms
Global trends towards urbanization are confronting cities and governments with new sets of challenges related to public safety and security, the supply and consumption of energy, waste treatment, and traffic management. In 2013 alone, the cost of congestion in the US – defined as fuel plus opportunity costs (time) – totaled 124bn USD. In metropolitan areas, smart mobility turns out to be one of the most difficult topics and, at the same time, one with the most impactful prospects to face.
Is tender excellence on your radar?
Tender management remains one of the most business-critical jobs for logistics companies. A significant share of revenue is generated from bids, with the aggregated value of tenders amounting up to billions of euros p.a. for large organizations.
Digital platforms in freight transportation
The wind of change is blowing strongly in transportation & logistics. Digitization is in full swing: it is opening a whole portfolio of new opportunities to reduce costs, differentiate product offerings and redefine business models. Digital freight platforms are driving the transformation. The narrow focus on clearly delineated market segments currently restricts their disruption potential. However, the longterm effect on the industry can be immense, as other sectors have shown.
Airports 4.0
Airports are at the fore-front of global challenges and innovations of our society and business, among which Digital Transformation. Arthur D. Little highlights the impact of Digital Transformation on Airport Economics.
Integrierte Logistikdienstleister unter Druck
Wie lange dauert es, bis Managemententscheidungen an der Basis Ihres Unternehmens angekommen sind? Wir meinen hier nicht die einmalige „Chefentscheidung“ – denn die funktioniert meistens. Oftmals entfalten Maßnahmen zur nachhaltigen Steigerung der Profitabilität nicht die gewünschte Wirkung oder Projekte zum Customer Relationship Management kommen nicht an der Kundenschnittstelle an; die Lenkungsimpulse verfehlen ihr Ziel. Verkürzt kann man hier über eine „Governance Schwäche“ reden.
The Change Side of Transformation - A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
In the new era of "Hypercompetition", companies increasingly need to be agile enough to reinvent and transform themselves. In this article the authors take a closer look at transformation, focusing on the human or change management aspects which are widely recognized as the key obstacles to success.
Future of mobility – Driving differentiation in a world of disruption and creativity
Mobility systems face increasing pressures from rising demand and new market entrants. The latest Arthur D. Little Urban Mobility Index shows that mobility systems in the average city operate at less than half of their potential – this article explains the five key dimensions that players must embrace if they are to successfully transform themselves.
Logistics 4.0 – Facing digitalization- driven disruption
At a time of market transformation, legacy logistics players (LLPs) risk being held back by the weight of their past, with static organizations, old IT systems, and complex processes preventing them from competing. As Logistics 4.0 becomes a reality, how can LLPs set their future strategies and ensure they are focusing on the right areas to become digital champions? This article sets out a potential framework that players can use to manage competing priorities and ensure that investments deliver digital transformation.
Urban mobility – Learnings from the Middle East
The Middle East may have been late to urbanization, but this has provided a unique opportunity to shape its urban-mobility strategies. Rather than adopting a piecemeal approach, leaders such as Dubai are following an ecosystem model that addresses mobility holistically. In this article, the authors explain this new model and the lessons it provides for other cities across the world as they struggle to meet their own urban-mobility challenges.
More About Michael
- EBS University of Business and LawMaster of Business Administration/Diplom-Kaufmann