Hi There!
I'm Thomas, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Information Systems at the University of Münster, Germany. I was born and raised in the beautiful Oldenburger Münsterland region, where I began my professional career at a Hidden Champion called Pöppelmann GmbH & Co. KG.
After completing my IHK apprenticeship with distinction and supported by a merit-based scholarship from the prestigious Foundation of German Business (sdw) I have pursued educational opportunities at various leading institutions. At Leuphana University (Bachelor of Arts in Management) I have learned about the multiple facets of sustainability and I pursued a research abroad program at the University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia.
Enjoying the international environment and the mix of both theory and practice, I've decided to pursue a Master of Arts in Business Innovation at the University of St.Gallen where I focused on Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design, a topic that is still close to my heart today. Understanding how to integrate human-centered design into organizations has triggered by interest to turn my degree at HSG into a double degree with Rotterdam School of Management where I pursued a Master of Science in Organisational Change & Consulting. Having complemented my studies with practical experience of digital transformation projects at the Otto Group, PWC/Strategy& and the BMW Group, I decided to tap into academia at one of Germany's leading computer science institutes. I pursued my PhD in Information Systems at the Hasso Plattner Institute as part of the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking research program, trying to understand the technical and organizational dynamics of incorporating Over-the-Air technology into Porsche's first electric vehicle. This journey has also brought me to beautiful Cambridge, where I co-organised the German-American Conference at the Harvard Kennedy School. At the time, I was pursuing a research fellowship program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Information Systems Research, with which I am still affiliated to this day.
Committed to bridging theory and practice, I have accumulated over ten years of professional experience in diverse settings, including small and medium-sized enterprises, large corporations, and consulting firms. During this time, I have trained managers in design thinking, redesigned internal processes for ERP implementations, developed a number of digital products and services and crafted formulating innovative digital strategies aimed at creating and capturing value from digital technologies.
Testimonials
“Thomas understands very well how academia and large cooperations are working, thinking, and acting. With this unique skill, he is able to transfer research results to industry and vice versa and so adds a lot of value to both sides.”
"Thomas helped me apply for a scholarship. Without him, I would never have come to the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)."
“Thomas has been with me for several years on my start-up project, and I would never have got this far with Clight without him!”
“Thomas was the kind of mentor who generously provided the resources, advice, and connections I needed to reach my goal. His support and reassuring words gave me the confidence to move forward without hesitation. He taught me not to be afraid to ask for what I want and to hold my chin up, even in moments of doubt.”
“Working with Thomas and his team was a very positive experience. His deep expertise in innovation management combined with his industry experience and hands-on approach ultimately resulted in tangible and outstanding project outcomes that we continue to use in our product creation process. I would highly recommend to work with him.“