Started my professional journey as physicist
I studied at the University of Erlangen and University of Virginia. After earning my Ph.D. in Engineering Physics, I worked as a Postdoc at Rutgers University in surface science research, where I supervised several Master and Ph.D. students. I was funded by a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The results were published in 20+ articles in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
Strategic consulting
I joined McKinsey & Company in Berlin in 1995 where I served clients with a focus on industry and financial services. I spent one year at the McKinsey Global Institute in Washington, D.C. where I was part of a major consulting project investigating the labor productivity of Brazil.
16 years leadership advisory
From 2001 till 2017 I was with Egon Zehnder´s Berlin office, most recently as senior partner. I was a core member of Egon Zehnder´s Public & Social Sector and Industrial Practice Groups. I led Egon Zehnder´s global Academic & Education Practice. My focus was on Executive Search and Leadership Strategy Services for industrial clients and for organizations in academia. In addition, I was in charge of Egon Zehnder’s global research organization, including the Knowledge Center India and the Knowledge Center Budapest.
First hand academia experience at ESMT
For the past two years, before engaging on my own consulting journey, I served as the Dean of Executive Education at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT).