This is a profile image of Ferry Grijpink

Ferry Grijpink

PartnerAmsterdam

Helps telecom and media companies grow their businesses, shape new markets, and transform their organizations.

Ferry leads the McKinsey Center for Advanced Connectivity within the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Practice, which brings together McKinsey’s experts on 5G, low Earth orbit satellites, and Wifi 6.0 connectivity with the firm’s knowledge to help clients overcome hurdles and capture the opportunities of a more connected world.

He advises telecommunications companies on strategy, marketing, and operations, including mobile operators that are launching adjacent businesses in areas such as mobile health and money services. He also coleads McKinsey’s research on deploying and commercializing next-generation infrastructures, such as fiber, mobile broadband, and 5G networks. From 2013 to 2018, Ferry relocated to Singapore to lead our high tech, media, entertainment, and telecommunications work in Southeast Asia.

Ferry brings a long record of tangible client impact in both the consumer and enterprise sectors, and in addition to his work in Asia, also serves clients in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Some examples of his recent work include the following:

  • developing and accelerating the go-to-market strategy of a large cloud provider in Europe
  • supporting a global operator on its 5G strategy
  • a portfolio realignment for a large European incumbent
  • refining the enterprise-migration strategy for an emerging-market telecommunications company
  • helping a mobile and broadband operator shape its strategy to prepare for 5G-spectrum auctions
  • helping shape an operational improvement program for a large telecom operator, where he and his team achieved savings of 20 percent
  • supporting the launch of a greenfield mobile operator in Africa
  • guiding the integration of two pan-African satellite-telecommunication service providers.
  • serving telecommunications clients in Southeast Asia on a wide range of issues, including commercializing technologies, network strategy, network IT, and architecture
  • developing a digital road map for an Asian integrated incumbent
  • shaping a mobile financial-services strategy for a global operator

Ferry frequently speaks to industry groups on the dynamics of the highly competitive telecommunications market. Recent presentations to international industry bodies focused on describing the market opportunity for embedded-mobile-data devices, shaping the thinking on 5G, the Internet of Things, and discussing mobile broadband costs as a regulatory lever.

Published work

Responsible AI: A business imperative for telcos,” McKinsey & Company, October 2024

McKinsey’s key takeaways from Mobile World Congress,” McKinsey & Company, March 2024

What it will take for telcos to unlock value from network APIs,” McKinsey & Company, February 2024

Unlocking the value of 5G in the B2C marketplace,” McKinsey & Company, November 2021

How tapping connectivity in oil and gas can fuel higher performance,” McKinsey & Company, November 2020

Connected world: An evolution in connectivity beyond the 5G revolution,” McKinsey Global Institute, February 2020

A 5G manifesto for the CEO,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

Cutting through the 5G hype: Survey shows telcos’ nuanced views,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

Network sharing and 5G: A turning point for lone riders,” McKinsey & Company, February 2018

The road to 5G: The inevitable growth of infrastructure cost,” McKinsey & Company, February 2018

5G: Are great expectations justified?,” LinkedIn, February 2018

Regaining mobile’s grip on network connectivity,” McKinsey & Company, August 2017

Demystifying the hackathon,” McKinsey & Company, October 2015

Offline and falling behind: Barriers to Internet adoption” (PDF–5 MB), McKinsey & Company, October 2014

A ‘New Deal’: Driving investment in Europe’s telecoms infrastructure” (PDF–1.28 MB), McKinsey & Company, December 2012

Beyond cost cutting: How to make money in the data world” (PDF–3.4 MB), McKinsey & Company, June 2012

“Shifting the supply axis: The road to 4G,” McKinsey & Company, June 2011

“mHealth: A new vision for healthcare,” McKinsey & Company, 2010

Past experience

Gemini Consulting
Senior consultant

mFriends
Co-founder

Shell
Consultant

Education

Delft University of Technology
MSc, electrical engineering