Born and raised in Kiel in the very north of Germany, I was a bit of a loner during my teens. This helped me to develop a very independent mind and a love to just think and be.

Taking time for contemplation is one of the true luxuries of the twenty-first century.  

When my assumption that architecture would bring my two areas of interest (fashion design and computer science) together proved wrong, I decided to finish as quickly as ever possible, start earning money, and keep a lookout for something that would truly inspired my passion.

If something is really important, don’t let your choice be influenced by convenience, nor compromise.

Summer 1989 I came across MBA and, deciding that I would not settle for second rate again, only applied to London Business School. Needing to significantly improve my English, I managed to secure an internship with an architect’s office in Newbury. I am still eternally grateful to the lady of the international women’s network Ladies’s Circle, who not only facilitated that connection but also invited me to stay with her family for the duration of that internship.

Nurture your relationships and networks with true passion; they will return the favour in the most wonderful and unexpected ways.

The MBA opened a whole new world and, for a number of reasons, once finished I started to work for myself. This I considered much less scary that taking a job that I did not really want. From 1994 to 1998, I went back to London Business School for a PhD, which put me firmly on the path of, as I describe it, ‘understanding and enabling innovation’. Year 2004 saw the foundation of my own company, the Innovation Leadership Forum.

What some might consider to be scary and high risk might feel like the easy option out for someone else!  

Ever since setting out on my own in 1992, I have enjoyed a combination of teaching, researching, writing, public speaking, and increasingly doing bespoke workshops for senior management teams. The fact that I enjoy is writing is reflected in four books (so far), numerous reports, and almost countless articles, interviews, and blogposts.

In all my excitement about and passion for innovation, it took me until 2010 until I realised that there is a dark side to it. Since then I have become more and more vocal about the need for innovation to be grounded in all three aspects of the triple bottom line. This is why, since autumn 2015, I have been involved in Katerva, a non-governmental organisation whose mission it is to identify, evaluate, and accelerate sustainable disruptive innovation.

Love what you do and pursue it with passion – and know when it is time to let go.