Transfer Partners named TOP CONSULTANT for the third year in a row!
Transfer Partners has once again been recognized as a TOP CONSULTANT in 2026, marking the third consecutive year the firm has ranked among Germany's best consulting firms for mid-sized businesses.
The award is based on a scientifically grounded client survey conducted by the Scientific Society for Management and Consulting (WGMB): Transfer Partners nominated mid-market reference clients, who were then surveyed by the WGMB. The researchers focused on how satisfied those clients were with the consulting services and whether they would recommend Transfer Partners to others. The firm is especially pleased that, following this survey, it not only earns the TOP CONSULTANT designation for the third year in a row, but also placed second in the overall ranking.
When mid-market business owners want to sell their company as quickly as possible and turn to Transfer Partners for support, the guiding principle is: thoroughness before speed. With more than 400 successfully completed transactions and a global network of investors, private equity firms, and commercial banks, Transfer Partners guides its clients through the entire process.
"Transaction security is paramount," says Markus Völlnagel, Managing Partner at Transfer Partners. "We bear responsibility for business owners, their families, employees, customers, and suppliers." The firm has little use for the industry-standard focus on maximizing purchase price — instead, it prioritizes long-term relationships. The formula is simple: satisfied clients come back.
As mentor of the competition, Dr. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg personally congratulated Florian Steinbrenner and Markus Völlnagel — on behalf of the entire Transfer Partners team — at the award ceremony held during the German Mittelstand Summit in Heidelberg.
L. to r.: Florian Steinbrenner (Partner, Transfer Partners), Dr. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (former Federal Minister), Markus Völlnagel (Managing Partner, Transfer Partners), Photo: KD Busch / compamedia
Prof. Dr. Dietmar Fink, Professor of Management Consulting at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, and Dr. Bianka Knoblach lead the WGMB. They determine who receives the TOP CONSULTANT seal. They emphasize how important the human element is to successful mid-market consulting: "A mid-market consultant needs not only technical expertise, but also a very keen sense for entrepreneurship and the unique culture of owner-managed businesses," says Dr. Bianka Knoblach. Professor Fink adds: "They must understand that what's being optimized here is not an anonymous organization, but a structure shaped by responsibility, emotion, tradition, and personal risk."
About the TOP CONSULTANT Benchmarking Program
The defining criterion for receiving the TOP CONSULTANT quality seal is the delivery of client-centered consulting services tailored to mid-sized businesses. The competition, organized by compamedia since 2010, draws participants primarily from the fields of management, IT, and HR consulting. These firms submit to an evaluation by the competition's academic leadership: Prof. Dr. Dietmar Fink, Professor of Management Consulting at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, and Dr. Bianka Knoblach — both directors of the Scientific Society for Management and Consulting (WGMB) in Bonn. The mentor of TOP CONSULTANT is entrepreneur, investor, and former Federal Minister Dr. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. The media partner is manager magazin.
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