Horváth strengthens Aerospace & Defense leadership with appointment of Julian Bütefür

Horváth has strengthened its Aerospace & Defense leadership team with the appointment of Julian Bütefür, who joins Gerhard Gottlieb in leading the practice across the region.

A 22-year company veteran, Gerhard Gottlieb leads Horváth’s advisory and transformation work in the aerospace and defense sectors. Based in the firm’s Riyadh office, he has deep expertise in human capital development, workforce planning, and strategy development and execution.

The appointment of Julian Bütefür to the practice leadership team will see him work alongside Gottlieb to address the growing demand across the region for integrated support on defense transformation – from ministries and procurement authorities through to manufacturers building local industrial capacity.

Since joining Horváth in 2020, Bütefür has built a strong track record advising ministries, authorities, and industrial clients across the Gulf region. A leader in the Strategy & Transformation practice, he focuses on growth strategies, business model design, localization, industrial enablement, standardization, regulatory frameworks, value creation, and transformation programs.

Bütefür is based out of Dubai. Earlier in his career, Bütefür worked in Germany for BearingPoint and oil giant BP.

“This appointment reinforces the leadership team of our Aerospace & Defense practice and is part of our strategic growth plan in the region,” said Horváth in a statement.

Founded in 1981, Horváth has around 1,400 employees worldwide. Its Middle East business was launched in 2009 and today operates in the region with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh.