About me
I am a global executive and board advisor with decades of experience in strategic oversight, and complex international transformations. During this time I learned managing competing interests across cross-border joint ventures, M&A, and in crisis situations - having sat on all sides of the table in high stakes negotiations. I travelled all 7 continents, lived and worked in 8 countries, and speak three languages (properly). But I do not play Golf, have no iPhone and I never go to the gym. As an enthusiast of libraries, museums and theatres, these are the indoor places I spend free time. In todays environment the creation and curation of knowledge is more important than mere provision. In this spirit I am strongly engaged in academia. And you may also find me in the local zoo.
I am Senior Advisor at Armor Capital (Hong Kong) and Director at Swissforecast GmbH (Switzerland), former Head of Corporate Strategy at Volkswagen (China) Investment Company (Beijing) and Head of Strategic Planning at Shanghai Volkswagen, conducting the Turnaround and Change Management initiative of the company in the time after China joined the WTO. Previous Management positions were with Volkswagen AG (Wolfsburg), The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Bosch (Frankfurt and Paris). I further held Interim Management positions, for example at Arthur D. Little (ADL) in Hong Kong where I was leading the Hong Kong office.
As an academic, I engage in postgraduate and executive education at world class Universities in Asia, Europe and North America. I taught at The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Tilburg University, Tongji University (Shanghai), Fudan (Shanghai). I received an Honorary Professorship from HKUST, was APS Chair for Operations Strategy at the University of Malta, Assistant Dean launching the EMBA Global Asia in partnership with London Business School and Columbia University. Further I served on the Board of the Mannheim-Tongji EMBA and various faculty boards. I taught and delivered lectures in programs like TRIUM, and at IVEY, Chinese University of Hong Kong, TIAS, SKOLKOVO and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. I trained all Director Generals and Directors in Change Management for the Office of the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta.
My own educational foundation is in Geosciences, in which I hold a PhD and Master of Sciences, and worked as a scientist at Wardell Armstrong Mining, Minerals and Environmental consulting after the end of the cold war, when operations in countries of the former Soviet Union opened up for foreign investment. During the Cold War I operated MGM52 (Lance) rockets for carrying conventional and nuclear warheads in the German Army (RakArtBtl 350).
In the spirit of making the world a classroom I enjoy leading industry study trips for investors, executives and postgraduate students to China, Germany, France, Finland, Estonia, Czech Republic, USA, Kazakhstan and other countries in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
I enjoy visual arts, especially photography, and had my first photography solo exhibition called China’s Empty Quarters in Beijing. Introducing business skills in the creative industries, I taught at the Academy of Fashion and Design Wiesbaden (Germany). Further, I served as a board member at MAKLWETA, a charity providing girls education in Homabay (Kenya) and was a mentor to upcoming executives at NextGen (Malta).