- 18 Dec, 2021
- People
- By Roberto Ki
Kerstin Friedrich — Strategy Consultant and Author
Who is Kerstin Friedrich?
Kerstin Friedrich is a strategy consultant and author specialising in the Engpasskonzentrierte Strategie (EKS®), developed by Wolfgang Mewes. After her studies at the University of Wuerzburg (Dr. rer. pol.), she gained international experience in the USA — including at Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and the Springfield Renewal Company.
Her website: friedrich-strategie.de
Friedrich combines the principles of EKS with modern approaches from innovation and entrepreneurship. In her book “Spielregeln fuer Game Changer” (Rules for Game Changers), she describes how companies achieve sustainable success through consistent specialisation and values orientation.
Professional Career
After completing her doctorate at the University of Wuerzburg, Friedrich went to the USA, where she gained insights into open-book management and employee-centred business leadership at Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and the Springfield Renewal Company. These experiences shaped her later consulting approach: strategy is not merely an analytical tool but must be connected to the values and culture of a company.
Back in Germany, Friedrich established herself as a strategy consultant and author. Together with Fredmund Malik and Lothar Seiwert, she wrote the definitive work on EKS, making the method accessible to a broad audience.
Bottleneck-Focused Strategy according to Wolfgang Mewes
Kerstin Friedrich is co-author of “Das grosse 1x1 der Erfolgsstrategie: EKS — Erfolg durch Spezialisierung” (The Complete Guide to Success Strategy: EKS — Success through Specialisation), together with Fredmund Malik and Lothar Seiwert. The book was recognised by GABAL Verlag as one of the most important strategy books in the German-speaking world.
EKS is based on the principle that maximum success comes from concentrating on the most effective bottleneck of the target group. Learn more about the method in our main article on the Bottleneck-Focused Strategy.
What Friedrich Learned from the Best
From her international experiences and research, Kerstin Friedrich has drawn a central insight: sustainably successful companies connect their strategy with clear values. They do not just specialise in what they do best, but also in what matters most to them.
This connection between competence and passion is also a core idea of EKS. In “Spielregeln fuer Game Changer” (Rules for Game Changers), Friedrich develops this idea further: game changers are companies that not only solve their bottleneck but set new rules for their industry in the process.
Friedrich’s Contribution to EKS Development
While Wolfgang Mewes created the theoretical foundation of EKS, Kerstin Friedrich has advanced the method in several directions:
- Practical orientation: Her books translate the abstract EKS principles into concrete action guides for entrepreneurs and executives.
- Values orientation: Friedrich emphasises that sustainable specialisation only succeeds when it aligns with the company’s values.
- International perspective: Through her USA experience, she introduces concepts such as open-book management and participative business leadership into EKS practice.
Anyone who wants to understand EKS from a practical perspective cannot overlook Kerstin Friedrich’s books. An overview of all EKS works can be found in our article on EKS books.
Books by Kerstin Friedrich
| Title | Focus | For whom? |
|---|---|---|
| Das grosse 1x1 der Erfolgsstrategie: EKS | Comprehensive foundational work (with Malik and Seiwert) | Anyone who wants to fully understand EKS |
| Fokus finden | Practical introduction to EKS | Entrepreneurs who want to get started immediately |
| Erfolgreich durch Spezialisierung | EKS for small and medium-sized businesses | SME owners and founders |
| Spielregeln fuer Game Changer | Specialisation + values orientation | Entrepreneurs who want to set new rules |
- Das grosse 1x1 der Erfolgsstrategie: EKS — Erfolg durch Spezialisierung (with Fredmund Malik and Lothar Seiwert) — GABAL Verlag
- Fokus finden: Erfolg durch engpasskonzentrierte Strategie — GABAL Verlag
- Erfolgreich durch Spezialisierung — GABAL Verlag
- Spielregeln fuer Game Changer — GABAL Verlag
A complete overview of all EKS works — including a recommended reading order — can be found in our article on the best EKS books.
Further Reading
- friedrich-strategie.de
- Bottleneck-Focused Strategy — Definition & Application
- Bottleneck-Focused Strategy Books
- EKS PDFs and Academic Papers
- Wolfgang Mewes — Founder of EKS
- Fredmund Malik — Principles of Effective Leadership
- Strategy Development — 7 Phases
