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Bernd Heid

Senior PartnerNova York

Leads the McKinsey Platform for Climate Technologies and work in hydrogen globally; serves clients in the mobility and energy sectors on future of mobility and hydrogen solutions

Bernd is a senior partner in McKinsey's Cologne office. He is a member of our leadership team in the automotive sector and guides much of the firm’s work in commercial vehicles and product development and procurement. In addition to this, Bernd also helps conduct efforts on sustainability focus areas with the Hydrogen Council and its member companies, as well as with the Global Battery Alliance and the World Economic Forum on the future of mobility.

Some of Bernd’s recent experiences include the following:

  • leading McKinsey’s work in collaboration with Hydrogen Council and co-authored Hydrogen ‘Scaling-up’ and ‘Cost Roadmap’ reports
  • leading work on various regional and national hydrogen roadmaps, including France, Korea, Europe, and the United States
  • leading work on battery value chain and Global Battery Alliance of World Economic Forum, and co-authored the ‘Battery Value Chain’ report
  • led several hydrogen and fuel cell strategies for companies in the automotive, supplier, and component industry led numerous strategies along the full hydrogen value chain, including oil & gas companies, utility companies and players in the automotive, supplier, and component industry, financial investors as well as shipping OEMs
  • product development projects with focus on CO2 strategy
  • innovation strategies on alternative powertrains, including fuel cell and battery electric vehicle
  • business case assessment of energy storage and lithium-ion battery technology
  • leading collaboration with World Economic Forum on the future of last mile and autonomous mobility, including last mile transportation, autonomous data strategy, the new normal in the mobility industry and battery value chain as well as hydrogen
  • market development of powertrain technologies in Europe, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles
  • global benchmarking on alternative powertrains in urban buses and automotive market strategies in Europe, North America, and Asia as well as experience in light vehicle, van, truck, and bus industries

Bernd chaired the board of Hydrogen Mobility and other Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles initiative.

Bernd holds a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University and MIT, and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

PUBLISHED WORK

The Iberian green industrial opportunity: Green hydrogen,” McKinsey & Company, October 2024

Global Energy Perspective 2023: Hydrogen outlook,” McKinsey & Company, January 2024

Preview: What would it take to scale critical climate technologies?,” McKinsey & Company, December 2023

Built for purpose: EV adoption in light commercial vehicles,” McKinsey & Company, April 2023

Preparing the world for zero-emission trucks,” McKinsey & Company, November 2022

Five charts on hydrogen’s role in a net-zero future,” McKinsey & Company, October 2022

Clean skies for tomorrow: Delivering on the global power-to-liquid ambition,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

Unlocking hydrogen’s power for long-haul freight transport,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

Delivering the climate technologies needed for net zero,” McKinsey & Company, April 2022

Road freight global pathways report,” McKinsey & Company, January 2022

How hydrogen combustion engines can contribute to zero emissions,” McKinsey & Company, June 2021

The trends transforming mobility’s future,” McKinsey Quarterly, March 2019

A regional view of truck-industry profit pools,” McKinsey & Company, December 2018

Fast transit: Why urban e-buses lead electric-vehicle growth,” McKinsey & Company, October 2018

Ready for inspection: The automotive aftermarket in 2030,” McKinsey & Company, August 2018

Technology delivered: Implications for cost, customers, and competition in the last-mile ecosystem”, McKinsey & Company, August 2018

Find cost opportunities with today’s should-cost analysis,” McKinsey & Company, June 2018

How industrial companies can respond to disruptive forces,” McKinsey & Company, April 2018

Hydrogen: The next wave for electric vehicles?” McKinsey & Company, November 2017

Urban commercial transport and the future of mobility,” McKinsey & Company, September 2017

What’s sparking electric-vehicle adoption in the truck industry?” McKinsey & Company, September 2017

EDUCATION

Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
MBA

MIT
MS, mechanical engineering

RWTH Aachen
MS, mechanical engineering