For many years, I have worked alongside people at the highest levels of leadership. Individuals who carry significant responsibility in businesses and organisations. Almost all seek direction and clarity, often accompanied by a deeper understanding of the forces at play. What drives me is the question of what makes leadership truly effective. Which invisible dynamics must we recognise and understand in order to succeed?
Perhaps this resonates with me so strongly because freedom has always been one of my most deeply held values. The freedom to choose your own path, to make decisions and to refuse to be constrained by what appears unchangeable. Achieving this often requires us to look more closely. To ask questions where others believe they have already found the answers. To uncover hidden connections. To find new ways forward.
My way of thinking did not develop in a single place. It has evolved over many years, shaped by experiences in very different worlds.
Working in international organisations taught me how differently people can think and act, and how much depends on our willingness to see the world through someone else's eyes. In politics, I came to understand how closely decisions are connected to interests, responsibilities and relationships. Academia taught me to examine things carefully, challenge assumptions and recognise underlying connections.
And the business world showed me just how demanding leadership becomes when many things happen at once and simple answers are no longer enough.
Each of these experiences has broadened my understanding of people, decisions and systems. I have learned to move between different worlds and connect their perspectives. Today, I draw on this breadth of experience in my work. It shapes how I understand people, leadership and everything that lies beneath the surface.
I have been teaching at ESCP Business School in Berlin since 2019 and have held the position of Affiliate Professor since 2026. My academic work explores self-awareness and the interplay between our inner experience, our leadership roles and the systems in which we hold responsibility. This work brings together my many years of experience advising senior leaders, academic reflection and my enduring interest in human behaviour and organisational dynamics.
Some questions require a trusted, confidential conversation. Others become clearer when different experiences and perspectives come together. And certain ideas need time to develop. That is why I offer different ways for leaders to engage in reflection and development.
Through Leadership Compagnion, we explore specific challenges in a confidential, one-to-one setting. The Executive Development Circle creates a space where leaders can learn from one another and discover new perspectives. The Leaders Club brings together individuals who wish to continue these conversations and connections over the longer term.
My essays, conversations and podcasts also explore the questions that have occupied me for many years: How do decisions come about? What really happens beneath the surface of organisations? And what enables people to remain capable of acting independently and making free choices, even in complex circumstances?
Here is a selection of the companies and organisations I have had the privilege of working with.
For more than two decades, I have advised board members, managing directors and senior leaders from business, academia, German federal ministries and international organisations. Earlier in my career, I worked in international development cooperation, including positions with the United Nations and Greenpeace International.
Expertise:
Analytical thinking, making sense of complexity, precision and sound reasoning
Expertise:
Diplomacy, interests and power dynamics, cross-cultural challenges
Expertise:
Decision-making under significant responsibility, people, relationships, organisational development and transformation
Every professional relationship begins with a conversation.
Not to find immediate solutions, but to explore whether my perspective could be valuable in your particular situation. If you feel that reflecting together might help you move forward, I would be delighted to meet you.
