The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top Automotive Consultants and Leaders of 2026. The automotive industry is at the beginning of a new era—from electric vehicles to software-defined systems and autonomous driving. Mobility already looks very different than it did even a decade ago, as automakers and suppliers rethink how vehicles are designed, built, and supported. And with AI beginning to take hold across manufacturing, supply chain, and vehicle technology, the industry is still in the early stages of understanding how far that transformation could go.

This year’s awardees are recognized for helping companies navigate this shift from multiple angles. Their work touches the decisions behind how vehicles are developed, how engineering organizations evolve, how supply chains and digital systems are rebuilt, and how automakers, suppliers, and investors position themselves for what comes next. In doing so, they are helping make mobility’s next wave of advances possible. In an industry where change is both capital-intensive and difficult to reverse, that work carries significant weight.

Among this year’s awardees, Florian Roth, Managing Director and Senior Partner at EFESO Management Consultants, stands out for leading the firm’s DACH region and serving as Global Head of Automotive & Commercial Vehicles, with work centered on profitability, cost optimization, and strategic turnarounds across the automotive and commercial vehicle industries. Steven Wybo, Senior Managing Director and Restructuring Co-Leader at Riveron, is recognized for advising distressed and underperforming companies, including global automotive suppliers, on turnaround, reorganization, and crisis situations, and for serving in interim leadership roles at critical moments. 

Philipp Mostowys, Principal at Consileon, is noted for leading consulting work across automotive engineering and IT transformation, helping OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers adapt to new data systems, operating models, and industry requirements.

This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical process and careful consideration of each candidate’s career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating The Top Automotive Consultants and Leaders of 2026.

Frank McCleary
Firm: Arthur D. Little
Title: Partner

Frank McCleary is a Partner at Arthur D. Little. He is part of the firm’s Automotive and Manufacturing practice, where he advises senior executives on transformational change across the automotive sector. His experience spans product creation, research and development, logistics optimization, organizational design, operations, and growth strategy. A scientist by training, he is known for bringing a disciplined, hypothesis-driven approach to complex industry challenges.

Before joining Arthur D. Little, Frank was a partner at Porsche Consulting, where he led the Automotive and Financial Services practices in North America and worked on major transformation projects. Earlier in his career, he was a research scientist at Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering Group and Lockheed Martin under bioastronautics contracts for NASA, and worked extensively on the U.S. space program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science and a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology from the University of Florida.

Steve Wybo
Firm: Riveron
Title: Senior Managing Director

Steven Wybo is Senior Managing Director and Restructuring Co-Leader at Riveron. He brings over 25 years of experience providing turnaround, reorganization, M&A, and financial advisory services to distressed and underperforming companies. He specializes in insolvency/bankruptcy matters, turnaround and crisis management, profit enhancement, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, raising of debt/equity capital, and liquidations.

Steven has served as an interim chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief restructuring officer, chief operating officer, treasurer, and court-appointed receiver. He sits on the board of two privately held Tier 1 and Tier 2 global automotive suppliers.

A former president of the board of the Detroit Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), Steve is frequently quoted on business and automotive matters in various publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Florian Roth
Firm: EFESO Management Consultants
Title: Global Automotive Lead & Managing Director DACH

Florian Roth is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at EFESO Management Consultants. He leads the firm’s DACH region and serves as Global Head of Automotive & Commercial Vehicles. His long-standing commitment to the company since 2011, combined with over 20 years of experience as a consultant and executive, makes him one of the most distinguished experts in performance improvement in the automotive industry.  

Florian’s work combines strategic and operational implementation expertise. He supports companies in the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors through holistic cost down programs that reach core areas of the business, from R&D and purchasing to production and the supply chain. His experience also includes product cost optimization, strategic turnarounds, operational excellence, localization strategies, and support for transitions to hybrid and e-mobility technologies, with project experience across China, India, and Brazil.

Before joining EFESO, Florian served as managing director, partner, and principal consultant at Tsetinis Consulting in Germany, focusing on performance and profitability improvement. Earlier, he worked in supplier management at ZF Group and began his career in purchasing at a global sensors and automation company, where his work included cost optimization and process improvement. He holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and studied industrial engineering at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University. 

Philipp Mostowys
Firm: Consileon Business Consultancy
Title: Principal

Philipp Mostowys is a Principal at Consileon, where he leads consulting initiatives at the intersection of automotive engineering, IT transformation, and emerging industry ecosystems. In his role, he is responsible for building and scaling consulting capabilities and leading teams that support automotive organizations in implementing complex transformation programs while maintaining operational stability in highly regulated environments. 

Philipp leads consulting teams responsible for end-to-end delivery—from capability development and portfolio building to large-scale client transformations. He focuses on three industry-critical domains shaping the future of the automotive industry: cross-company data ecosystems, particularly Catena-X; large-scale agile transformations in engineering organizations, and enterprise process and capability models such as Automotive SPICE. In these areas, he works closely with OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers to integrate new operating models, digital platforms, and regulatory requirements into existing development and IT landscapes.

Philipp advises senior engineering, IT, and transformation leaders on how to strategically design transformation initiatives. His work includes leading large-scale transformations in complex engineering and IT environments. For example, he led the agile transformation of an R&D organization of a global Tier-1 automotive supplier involving more than 250 engineers, establishing a scalable operating model that later served as a reference for further transformation initiatives. Through close collaboration with industry ecosystem organizations such as the Catena-X Association and Scaled Agile, he also contributes to bridging the gap between emerging industry standards and practical implementation.

Beyond client engagements, Philipp plays a key role in developing and positioning consulting offerings within Consileon’s automotive practice. Under his leadership, the firm became one of the early Catena-X Qualified Advisory Providers. He also founded the Consileon Academy, a platform designed to help organizations build capabilities in emerging industry topics and translate strategic initiatives into operational practice. 

Prior to joining consulting, he worked at Continental Engineering Services, where he advised engineering organizations on process and organizational development. During this time, he built and led the Agile Development & Transformation advisory unit. He holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering from TU Darmstadt.

Andrea Cardoso
Firm: Accenture
Title: Managing Director

Andrea Cardoso is a Managing Director at Accenture. She works with automotive clients on technology and business transformation initiatives, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in complex technology implementation, process consulting, product engineering, and delivery leadership. Her background spans consulting, delivery, engineering, and transformation work, with experience leading large programs using both agile and traditional methodologies.

Andrea has worked across technology, process, consulting, and business transformation initiatives, with a focus on improving execution in complex environments. She has led critical programs involving IT optimization, the structuring of new remote support and systems delivery capabilities, and the rollout of global systems and processes in Brazil with offshore development for the United States. She has also managed multidisciplinary teams of up to 100 professionals across technology, consulting, digital, operations, and strategy.

Her project experience includes work on a digital parts sales initiative designed to improve a fragmented sales and replacement channel, a vehicle sales channel project focused on redesigning processes and standardizing the customer service model, an offshore delivery model that helped reduce system development and support costs, and an early online automotive sales platform that increased vehicle sales and was considered a pioneering initiative at the time. 

Before becoming Managing Director, Andrea held a series of leadership roles at Accenture, HP Enterprise Services, and EDS. She earned an MBA in eManagement from Fundação Getulio Vargas and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with an emphasis in systems analysis from Fundação Santo André.

David Coleman
Firm: Deloitte
Title: Managing Director, Automotive Strategy

David Coleman is Managing Director of Automotive Strategy at Deloitte. He advises executives at leading automotive OEMs on high-priority strategic and operational initiatives. His work focuses on corporate planning, mobility services, connected car, digital customer, sales and after-sales, and data analytics, with an emphasis on helping companies grow and improve execution.

Before taking on his current role, David was a senior manager at Deloitte, where he advised automotive executives on expansion in domestic and emerging global markets and led cross-functional teams on strategic and cost transformation initiatives. He was previously a principal in Samsung Electronics’ Global Strategy Group in Seoul, where he led the Consumer Electronics practice and developed a team of 14 global strategists working across business units including Mobile, Visual Displays, and Digital Appliances.

Earlier in his career, David was an engagement manager at Booz & Company, where he advised global corporations on strategy, operations, and change execution across the automotive, telecom, and technology sectors in the U.S., Middle East, and Asia. He has lived in and held senior management positions in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He holds an MBA in economics, finance, and strategy from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona.

Lenny LaRocca
Firm: KPMG
Title: Partner

Lenny LaRocca is a Partner at KPMG and the firm’s U.S. Automotive Industry Leader. He leads KPMG’s automotive practice in the U.S. and the Americas, advising C-suite leaders on industry disruption, including the EV transition, capital allocation, supply chain transformation, consolidation, and emerging mobility. He also helps drive growth strategy, client engagement, and integrated advisory services across the firm’s automotive sector.

Lenny brings more than 20 years of automotive experience and has led or advised on hundreds of transactions for corporate and private equity clients. His experience spans mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, restructuring initiatives, financial due diligence, and value creation. He has worked across OEMs, suppliers, commercial vehicles, off-highway, aftermarket, distribution, and the broader automotive supply chain, with significant cross-border transaction experience.

Lenny has spent his entire career at KPMG, where he advanced through transaction advisory and deal advisory leadership roles before being appointed U.S. Automotive Industry Leader. He previously served as KPMG global head of deal advisory and strategy for automotive. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western Michigan University.

Ani Kelkar
Firm: McKinsey & Company
Title: Partner

Ani Kelkar is a Partner at McKinsey & Company. Based in the firm’s Greater Boston office, he is a leader in McKinsey’s Advanced Industries Practice and serves OEMs, suppliers, service providers, investors, and disruptors across the automotive, aerospace and defense, energy, industrial automation, and robotics sectors. He is also a core leader within the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility in the Americas, where he leads work on advanced automation and autonomy and supports clients focused on autonomous driving, electrification, software-defined vehicles, shared mobility, and connectivity.

Ani advises clients on strategy, growth, and operations. His work has included driving deal synergies for an automotive supplier in a merger of equals, leading a full-potential transformation at an automotive supplier across production, supply chain, and SG&A, and evaluating autonomous systems transactions that contributed to a $1 billion investment from an innovation fund. He also leads McKinsey’s global mission on robotics, automation, and physical AI and has authored publications on automation, autonomous systems, and mobility.

Before joining McKinsey in 2017, Ani was a lead facilities engineer at Chevron and previously co-founded Soytronics, a venture focused on eco-friendly printed circuit board substrates developed from soy farming waste. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology.

Harald Wimmer
Firm: PwC Germany
Title: Partner, Global Automotive Leader

Harald Wimmer is a Partner and Global Automotive Leader at PwC Germany. He brings more than 20 years of experience at the firm and deep industry expertise across the automotive value chain. His work focuses on systems implementation, industry transformation, internal controls, and group audits in multi-GAAP and PCAOB environments. He also leads PwC’s Smart Mobility practice, covering EVs, batteries, autonomous vehicles, inter-modal transport, mobility infrastructure, and alternative fuels.

Harald focuses on connecting clients with PwC’s global network of sector specialists and capabilities. He currently serves as Client Relationship Partner for Tesla in Germany and Global Client Relationship Partner for Deutz AG and Altana AG. He has been with PwC since 1997 and holds a degree in economics, with a focus on tax, accounting, controlling, and financial reporting, from TH Köln.

Anil Valsan
Firm: EY
Title: Global Automotive & Transportation Lead Analyst

Anil Valsan is Global Automotive & Transportation Lead Analyst at EY. Based in London, he leads EY’s thought leadership on major trends and issues shaping the automotive and transportation industry. He works with C-level executives, corporate and product strategy teams, OEMs, suppliers, and investors to identify organic and inorganic growth opportunities, and he regularly speaks on M&A, annual sector performance, and industry outlook.

Anil has more than 20 years of experience in automotive industry research, analysis, and consulting. At EY, he has helped clients and internal teams understand change across the automotive and transportation ecosystem through analytics, proprietary models, and sector-focused insights. His broader work at the firm has included leading analyst and data science teams, developing predictive and descriptive analytics assets, and supporting commercially relevant insights across mobility, industrials, and energy.

Before joining EY in 2010, Anil was global director of research at Frost & Sullivan, where he led a global team of more than 35 analysts. Earlier, he was coordinator of budgets and cost control at Tractors and Farm Equipment. He holds a master's degree in finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an MBA in information technology from ICFAI Business School, and a bachelor’s degree in statistics from Loyola College, Chennai.