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Katharina Hefter joined Boston Consulting Group in July 2007. She is a leader for the firm’s compliance, risk, and regulation work, and has more than ten years of compliance experience in financial institutions as well as industrial goods, health care, insurance, and other industries. Katharina is also an expert in large-scale transformation and change and has been working primarily in Europe and the US.

Katharina leads BCG Risk & Compliance in Central Europe. She specializes in compliance, ethics, and risk transformation programs ensuring effective and efficient compliance risk management as well as sustainable culture change. Her aim is to change the trajectory for clients by addressing regulatory standards and best practices, digital and data analytics levers, and organizational enablers. Katharina also is the People Chair of the Global Risk & Compliance practice and a driver of the firm’s diversity agenda across Europe.

Before joining BCG, Katharina worked at ESCP Europe, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and Infineon. Katharina speaks English, French, and Spanish in addition to her native German.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • PhD, International Management, ESCP Europe
  • BWL, Business, University of Passau

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • EIBA Best Thesis Proposal Award 2005
  • Neil Hood and Stephen Young Prize for the Most Original Work 2006 at the AIB UK

Publications and Videos

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New Ways to Combat Rising Complexity and Costs: Global ESG, Compliance, and Risk Report 2024

Companies need a holistic strategy to coordinate requirements, clearly define responsibilities, and effectively use advanced technologies.
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Simplified Risk Assurance Enhances Performance in Process Industries

By alleviating burdens on daily activities, companies can free up valuable resources and promote cost efficiencies while improving compliance and resilience.

The Future of Compliance–Forward-Thinking Ideas for Compliance Executives

BCG’s Katharina Hefter and Julia Gebhardt outline the biggest changes and advancements in risk and compliance—and share their perspectives on how to act now

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The Regulatory Climate Is Getting Hotter for Private Equity

US and EU regulators are scrutinizing financial services more closely, and that is impacting PE firms. Leaders need to up their game to remain in compliance.

The Reality of Responsible AI

Leaders need to place responsible AI (RAI) at the core of business strategies. Four BCG experts address RAI’s opportunities and challenges, demonstrating how companies can move from ambition to execution today.

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Closing the Transatlantic Divide in US Monitorships in Europe

US compliance monitors of a Europe-based multinational companies should be proficient in navigating the confluence of transatlantic business cultures, legal frameworks, and corporate governance practices.
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Mature Risk Management in Uncertain Times

A BCG study reveals how top-performing companies effectively addressed the risk management challenges of recent crises and what other companies can learn from them.

Building a Foundation for a Riskier Future

Companies are facing risks that are bigger and more complex than ever before. To create competitive advantage, risk management should be embedded throughout an organization.

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The New World of Risk—and What to Do About It

Risk has always outpaced risk management, but the scale, complexity, and interconnectedness of risk today mean that businesses need a new approach.
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Preparing for the EU Green Claims Directive – How Companies Can Eliminate Greenwashing at Its Source

The EU Commission just published a proposal for a Green Claims Directive that aims to create a harmonised set of rules on the substantiation and communication of green claims.
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EU Data Act - Boon or Bane for the Automotive Industry

Data – gold of the digital age is in many industries controlled by some players. The EU tries to make data transparent, usable, and valuable with the new EU Data Act.
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Making Provisions — Responding to the DOJ’s Expansion of Its Corporate Enforcement Policy and the Monaco Memo

On January 17th, 2023 the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. delivered remarks on revisions to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement Policy. This followed Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco previewing the changes on September 15, 2022. With this paper, we lay out the key elements of these changes and its implications for corporations across the globe.