Business Models Inc. boosts North American operations
Business Models Inc., a consulting firm that specialises in business model innovation, has bolstered its North American operations with Maaike Doyer. In her new role, Doyer, who relocates from Amsterdam to San Francisco, will support the further expansion of the Chicago and San Francisco offices.
Founded in 2008 by Patrick van der Pijl, who prior to that among others served PwC and Deloitte, Business Models Inc. is a professional services firm that supports clients with strategy, innovation and business model redesign. The approach of the firm centers around strategy and business design thinking, and is largely based on the global bestseller ‘Business Model Generation: a handbook for visionairies, game changers, and challengers’, authored by founder Van der Pijl together with Alex Osterwalder. To date, 1 million copies in over 30 different languages of the book have been sold worldwide, and the heart of the approach – the Business Model Canvas – has grown into an internationally adapted management tool.
On the back of growing demand following the successful consultancy approach, over the past years Van der Pijl expanded Business Models Inc. Early 2013 the firm had eight employees and a handful of internationally-based associates, now Business Models Inc. consists of a team of nearly 20 professionals, with an associate network that spans the globe. On the ground operations are currently based in Amsterdam (headquarters), London (UK and Glasgow; both led by Doug Morwood), Istanbul, Taipei, Brisbane, Chicago and San Francisco.
The North American operations were established in spring 2014, when Business Models Inc. opened an office in Chicago, with almost 3 million inhabitants and home to the headquarters of 29 of the Fortune 500 one of the largest economic hubs in the US. Led by Marc McLaughlin, the Chicago office has since the launch executed projects for a range of companies, from startups to medium-sized business as well as corporates. In May this year Business Models Inc. unveiled its second office in the States, based in San Francisco, and headed by Justin Lokitz.
To accelerate the growth of both offices, Business Models Inc. last month relocated Maaike Doyer, the firm’s Global Strategy Designer and CFO and similar to Van der Pijl a Big Four alumnus (she joined from PwC in 2011), to the United States. From her main base in San Francisco, Doyer will help to create traction in the U.S region, says Van der Pijl, adding that the move will “further build and strengthen the Business Models Inc. brand and exposure”. Doyer will in addition play a key role in advancing the firm’s Business Model Canvas methodology. “Some of the most exciting innovative business models are created in Silicon Valley. Think of Tesla, Uber, WhatsApp, Dropbox and other big names that have their origin there. By getting premier insights, Maaike will take these learnings back to be incorporated in our methodology and share it with our global customers and partners.”
Besides her US focus, Doyer will maintain her international role, and travel back to Europe once every two months to conduct trainings and key notes speeches.
