Daniel Zipser is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, based in Shenzhen, where he leads the firm’s Consumer and Retail Practice across Asia. He plays a pivotal role in advising both Asian and multinational companies on strategies for growth and performance enhancement, with a deep-seated expertise in understanding the Chinese consumer market.
Since joining McKinsey’s Frankfurt office in 2001, Zipser has served in a wide variety of leadership roles at the firm. In 2007, he moved to the Shanghai office, and from 2010 to 2015, he led the Sales & Marketing Practice in Greater China. In 2020, he took on his current role, overseeing consumer and retail strategies across the wider Asian region.
Zipser's work encompasses a diverse array of consumer sectors including beauty, fashion, luxury goods, automotive, and food and beverages. He focuses extensively on sales and marketing while also covering broader areas such as digital transformation, organizational restructuring, and operating model design.
An accomplished author, Zipser frequently publishes reports and articles aimed at elucidating consumer trends in China. For the past decade, he has led the research and publication of McKinsey’s bi-annual survey of consumer behavior and attitudes in China, which business leaders have come to rely upon as a fact-base for their strategic decision-making. His regular LinkedIn newsletter, “China Insights”, has been read by hundreds of thousands of professionals interested in keeping abreast of Chinese consumer trends.
Zipser is a sought-after commentator on topics pertaining to Chinese consumer trends and consumption, and appears frequently on Bloomberg News, CGTN, and other major broadcast news networks. His perspectives are frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Reuters, and other top-tier global and domestic news outlets.
Zipser holds a PhD in Finance and a Master’s in Economics and Business Administration from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management.
