Enthusiastic Engineer and Executive at a Global Technology Leader

Over the course of many years, I could help Bosch Rexroth and our customers repeatedly to push out the boundaries of what is technically feasible. That was exciting! I gave my very first keynote in the USA in 2002. To convey to my own American colleagues that it was actually quite easy to work with us “Germans” was what I tried. You will notice my irony! It was there that I felt for the first time the power and impact that honest and respectful thoughts, clearly expressed and accompanied by a pinch of humor, can have. That was my start as a keynote speaker. What makes me special? I think it’s a powerful combination of international leadership experience, curiosity and the desire to inspire people to change their perspective. And one more thing: I like to get to the heart of things.

Our time spent in the USA had a lasting impact on me and gave me a positive perspective on life. I enjoy working with people from other cultures: whether it’s being greeted with a warm hug in Sao Paulo, the constant head shaking of the audience in Bangalore, which drives me to helplessness, or the restrained reactions of negotiating partners in Tokyo, who demand my last reserves of patience. People are so different. That fascinates me. When people treat others from above, I sometimes face an allergic reaction. I see developing people as one of the most important leadership tasks.

My wonderful wife and I live in Bavaria/Germany. We have two grown-up children of whom we are very proud, because they are both doing things “their” way. And then there’s our overweight cat. I like “dry” humor and I love cooking, preferably homemade pasta or something from the grill. Every now and then I pick up my Bruce Springsteen signature guitar. Music is wonderfully relaxing for me. I really appreciate clarity where it is possible. And I consciously allow gray areas where they are necessary. The reality of our lives is rarely just black or white.

My Professional Journey

My professional journey started in application engineering for wheel loader transmissions at Rexroth. When I returned to Germany after several years on assignment in the USA, the world had changed: our medium-sized company had been taken over. In the wake of the largest hostile takeover in history, the acquisition of the Mannesmann AG by Vodafone, I was able to experience the dissolution of the Mannesmann Group and help shape the transformation of our medium-sized company into a modern industrial group. Among other things, I orchestrated a global sales organization, led a “S.W.A.T.” crisis-turnaround-team. As head of corporate strategy and right-hand man to the CEO, I learned a lot about with corporate governance, M&A, as well as new technologies.

As an active member of the executive team and the supervisory board of thet Bosch Rexroth AG, our teams and I are right in the middle of digitalization, experimentation and learning with new forms of organization. Every day, we experience how important different perspectives and expertise, constructive friction, and discussions are for the continued development and success of a company.

Born in 1965, I studied industrial engineering in Rosenheim and completed my Master in Business Administration (MBA) at Clemson University in the USA. At Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, I learned the basics of “Cross-Cultural Management in Post-Merger-Integration”. Darren LaCroix and Mark Brown, two of the world’s most renowned speaker coaches, helped me on my way to the stage. I received the “Qualified Supervisory Board” certification from Deutsche Börse AG in 2021. I am also a Springer-Gabler book author, guest author for business magazines such as Capital, Wirtschaftswoche and Focus, as well as a member of the Association of German Engineers (VDI) and the German Speakers’ Association (GSA).