Born 1974, managing director of the Witten Institute for Family Business (WIFU) at the Witten/Herdecke University. He also directs the non-profit WIFU Foundation as an executive chairman. After completing a degree in economics at the Witten/Herdecke University, he spent several years working for the inhouse consultancy of a large multinational industrial corporation, and for restructuring and recovery consultancies. He has been honorary professor at the economics faculty of the Witten/Herdecke University since 2015, and a visiting professor at Lucerne University since 2017.
The main areas of his research, teaching and publication include the examination of conflict and crisis dynamics, structural risks in family businesses, mental models in business families, and family strategies and their evolution over generations. In his coaching and consultancy work, he assists family businesses and business families in developing practical solutions as part of succession processes, conflict and crisis situations, and the development of family strategies and family management systems.
Main areas of work, research and interest:
• Conflict and crisis management in family businesses
• Structural risks in family businesses
• Mental models in business families
• Interim management in family businesses
• Innovation in family businesses
• Advising family businesses
• Dynamics in business families (in particular succession arrangements, family strategies and management systems, coaching family members)
