We look forwards to welcoming high-ranking experts from business, civil-society and academics to our Transcultural Leadership Summit and to learning from them about leadership and cooperation potentials between Brazil and Germany.
Dr. Rolf-Dieter Acker
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Deutsch-Brasilianische Gesellschaft & Advisory Board Member of the Business Association for Latin America (LAV), Germany.
We are proud to welcome Dr Rolf-Dieter Acker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Deutsch-Brasilianische Gesellschaft in Berlin, as well as a member of the Senior Advisory Board of the Business Association for Latin America (LAV) and the Senior Advisory Board of the German-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo. Dr Rolf-Dieter Acker holds a PhD in chemistry and studied in Münster, Heidelberg and Stanford. Having worked for BASF for more than 30 years, he held the position of the CEO of BASF S.A. Brazil and of the Regional Head of 22 BASF companies in South America.
Dr Rolf-Dieter Acker will share his experience on Leadership Development with us as a panellist.
Julika Baumann Montecinos
Head of “Transcultural Management Studies” at the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin, Zeppelin University.
Julika Baumann Montecinos graduated in International Cultural and Business Studies from the University of Passau. During her degree course, she spent prolonged periods of time in China, India, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. She pursued a career in the automotive industry before joining the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin | LEIZ in 2014. Under the supervision of Prof Wieland she conducted a research project on CSR evaluation for the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Since 2016, she is in charge of LEIZ’s focus area Transcultural Management Studies and the project platform Transcultural Caravan. Julika Baumann Montecinos teaches “Leadership and CSR Management in a Transcultural Context” and supervises research projects on transcultural competence and transcultural management. In her doctoral thesis, which is currently under examination, she analyzed the relevance of cultural factors for economic performance.
Applying her experiences to issues of successful corporate diversity management, Julika Baumann Montecinos will lead the workshop on “Working in Transcultural Teams” together with Dr Jutta Nübel from Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
Carlo Bevoli
Managing Director of SAP Sustainability Labs, Products & Innovation, Germany.
Carlo Bevoli has been Managing Director of SAP Labs Germany, Markdorf and Siegen (SAP Sustainability Labs) since 2012. In this role, he oversees all aspects of the Labs’ operations and activities in Germany and reports directly to Clas Neumann, Global Head of the SAP Labs Network.
Carlo Bevoli joined SAP in January 2011 when SAP acquired Technidata AG, coordinating the post-merger-integration activities as the local Managing Director.
Upon joining TechniData GmbH, Carlo Bevoli focused on business innovation and business incubator initiatives and went on to serve as CEO of TechniData BCS from 2006 to 2009. In this position, he established the business model for the Environment Health and Safety Management business process outsourcing. At the time of the SAP acquisition, Bevoli was Executive Vice President for Business Strategy and Innovation, as well as member of the extended Technidata AG Board. He holds a degree from the University of Applied Sciences in Ulm (Dipl.-Ing. FH) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Carlo Bevoli will lead the workshop on “Transcultural Innovation Management” together with Dennison John.
Ricardo Borges Dos Santos
Managing Director of Zeppelin Systems Latin America, São Paulo. Will give a keynote on “Transcultural Cooperation – The example of Zeppelin”.
Managing Director of Zeppelin Systems Latin America, São Paulo.
Holding the position of the Managing Director of Zeppelin Systems Latin America in São Paulo since 2000, Ricardo Borges dos Santos manages operations including marketing, strategy, development of new products and businesses, commercial engineering, manufacturing, service and quality as well as legal operations. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University, studied Finance, Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions at the University of Chicago and is currently researching the application of crypto tokens (IGR) to the certification and traceability of food ingredients in industrial commingled foods as part of his PhD in Computer Science at Universidade Federal do ABC.
Ricardo Borges Dos Santos will give a keynote on “Transcultural Cooperation – The example of Zeppelin”.
Bruno Brandão
Executive Director of Transparency International Brazil, São Paulo.
Executive Director of Transparency International Brazil, São Paulo.
The Brazilian economist holds an M.A. in Public Administration & Public Policy from the University of York (UK), as well as an M.A. in International Relations from the Institute Barcelona d’ Estudis Internacionals (Spain). Since 2013, Bruno Brandão has led Transparency International’s presence in Brazil. Prior to that, he was the coordinator in Mexico of Transparency International’s Climate Finance Integrity Programme. He is a fellow of the Organization of American States’ “Open Government in the Americas” and the Bertelsmann Foundation’s “Transformation Thinkers”.
Bruno Brandão will give a keynote on “Leadership and Integrity in Brazil”.
Prof. Maria Cecilia Coutinho de Arruda
President of the Latin American Business Ethics Network (ALENE); retired Associate Professor at São Paulo School of Business Administration (EAESP) at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, São Paulo.
President of the Latin American Business Ethics Network (ALENE); retired Associate Professor at the São Paulo School of Business Administration (EAESP) at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, São Paulo.
Until 2013, Prof Maria Cecilia Coutinho de Arruda was Associate Professor at the Getulio Vargas Business School (EAESP/FGV – Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo – Fundação Getulio Vargas) in São Paulo where she taught Marketing, Ethics, Social Responsibility and Sustainability for almost 25 years. A recipient of scholarships from the Brazilian government for her academic and professional activities in ethics, she is an internationally renowned expert in the field of business ethics. She is President of ALENE (Latin American Business Ethics Network), as well as a founding member and coordinator of the GVcene Center for the Study of Organizational Ethics. Furthermore, she has executed business-ethics-related research and consulting projects with many corporations and institutions.
Prof Maria Cecilia Coutinho de Arruda will lead the workshop on “Responsible Leadership Practices – Case Studies from Brazil”.
Henrique Drumond
Social Entrepreneur and CEO of Insolar, Rio de Janeiro.
Henrique Drumond has accumulated a broad range of working experience from both the private and the civil-society sectors. The former has taught him how well-managed and innovative business can transform a country’s economy, while his experiences with NGOs made him understand that the power of goodwill can transform the lives of many vulnerable people. In order to unite the two worlds – business and social, he founded Insolar, a social business dedicated to the promotion and democratization of access to solar energy in Brazil. In 2015, Insolar received the support of the Consulate General of Germany in Rio de Janeiro for its pilot project and is expanding its operations successfully.
Henrique Drumond will give a keynote on “Social Start-ups and Urban Development” and lead the workshop on “Learning from a Start-up from Rio de Janeiro”.
Dominik Fischer
Researcher and lecturer at the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin, Zeppelin University.
Focusing on the interconnections of Global Value Chains, Strategy, Leadership, and Sustainability, Dominik Fischer currently runs several research projects within the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin | LEIZ, collaborating with international partners in this field. Most recently, he led a Transcultural Research Group in Uganda to explore organizational cooperation at the juncture of NGOs, Government, and Social Business. Also, he is a lecturer at Zeppelin University specialising on Compliance, Leadership and Corporate Strategy. Next to Zeppelin University, he studied at the National Chengchi University Taipei, the University of Sydney Business School, the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata as well as the London School of Economics and Political Science. He holds a Master’s Degree in Management and a degree from CEMS in International Business. In addition to his core focus, he publishes on topics such as transculturality, business legitimacy as well as CSR and Employer Branding.
In the workshop on “Sustainable Business Strategies”, he will approach the topic from a theoretical angle and link this with LEIZ’s current research.
Peter Gerstmann
CEO of Zeppelin GmbH
As Chairman of the Management Board of Zeppelin Group since 2010, Peter Gerstmann is responsible for Compliance, Group Business Development, IT, Digital Business Management, Internal Audit and Corporate Communication. He has been a member of the Management Board since 2005.
Since 2000, Peter Gerstmann has been working for Zeppelin Group in various management positions, e.g. as Manager Business Administration and Managing Director of Zeppelin Silos & Systems GmbH. Zeppelin Group provides solutions in the construction and mining industries, agricultural equipment, rental, construction logistics and construction site management, power and energy, engineering and plant engineering as well as development of new digital business models for the construction industry.
After graduating in business administration, Peter Gerstmann began his professional career in 1987 as a controller at Battenfeld Fischer Blasformtechnik, then he became Head of Controlling and Planning at Hayes Lemmerz GmbH. Between 1993 and 2000, he was Head of the Central Department Controlling and Administration at SMS Eumuco GmbH in Leverkusen.
Peter Gerstmann is a member of the Supervisory Board of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ZU Foundation, the sponsor of the Zeppelin University.
He will share his experience on “Transcultural Leadership in Practice” with us as a panelist.
Dennison John
Managing Director of SAP Labs Latin America, and Vice-President of the Board of the German-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (AHK) in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.
Managing Director of SAP Labs Latin America, and Vice-President of the Board of the German-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (AHK) in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.
As Managing Director of SAP Labs Latin America, Dennison John is responsible for managing the operations of the SAP Labs in Latin America, supporting the integration of different lines of business and ensuring that the laboratory maintains its high engagement and satisfaction scores among its employees, as well as its service for the innovation needs of SAP clients on the continent. He also serves as a Vice President in the Digital Business Services board area of SAP.
Born in India, Dennison John has an Engineering degree in Computer Science and a development background. With 22 years of experience, Dennison started working at SAP 17 years ago for SAP India. Later, he became the location manager for SAP’s Global Support Center in Malaysia, responsible for supply chain, logistics, technology and FI/CO. Since 2010, he has been leading teams responsible for supporting 40% of SAP’s customer base in the Americas region, as part of SAP Labs Latin America. Prior to joining SAP, Dennison John worked as a Senior SAP Development Consultant and Project Manager with Informationsverarbeitung Leverkusen, a company with operations in Germany and India.
SAP Labs Latin America is recognised by Great Place to Work as the #1 IT Company in Brazil in 2017 and 2018. Voce S/A, one of the most distinguished HR surveys in Brazil, has recognised SAP Labs Latin America as the #1 IT company in the country for the past 4 years and the best place to start a career.
Dennison John will lead a workshop on “Transcultural Innovation Management” together with Carlo Bevoli.
Martin Kunze
President of TÜV Rheinland Brazil & Executive Vice-President for TÜV Rheinland in South America
Martin Kunze was born and raised in Brazil, where he graduated in 1982 in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic High School of the State University of São Paulo. He gained broad professional experience in various industries in Brazil, South East Asia, Switzerland and Germany, working for VOITH, Schlumberger Oilfield Services, Sulzer Brothers and ABB.
In 2001, he joined MAN Turbo with the task to establish and manage its Brazilian subsidiary which, in 10 years, he developed into an organization of over 200 employees and annual revenues of 30 million Euro. In 2010, he led the merger of MAN Turbo do Brasil Ltda with MAN Diesel Brasil Ltda, becoming CEO of MAN Diesel & Turbo Brasil Ltda.
Martin Kunze joined TÜV Rheinland in 2014 as Executive Vice-President responsible for South America. With operations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia, TÜV Rheinland employs over 2,000 workers in more than 10 companies across the continent, where it has a leading position in Certification of Products and Systems, Inspection of Industrial Products and Vehicles as well as Management and Supervision of large projects and programs.
Martin Kunze will share his experiences with us as a panellist on “Transcultural Leadership in Practice” and co-lead the workshop on “Sustainable Business Strategies”.
Achim Lohrie
Chief Sustainability Advisor at Tchibo GmbH
Achim Lohrie started his professional career in 1990 within the Otto Group after completing his law degree. After several executive positions related to corporate responsibility, he started his own business in July 2005: RMC – Risk Management Coaching, a business consultancy. In April 2006, he became Director of Corporate Responsibility of Tchibo GmbH.
In his position as Director of Corporate Responsibility, Achim Lohrie guided the sustainable alignment of the Tchibo Group’s business. The focus was on implementation of ecological and social standards for the manufacturing of Tchibo products, on ecological optimization of processes and sites, on the active role of the company as part of society as well as on creating transparency with regard to company performance.
Since January 2018, Achim Lohrie has been Chief Sustainability Advisor and advises Tchibo GmbH, particularly with regard to devising and implementing sustainable sector solutions.
Mr Lohrie will co-lead the workshop on “Sustainable Business Strategies in Brazil”.
Prof. Mario Monzoni
Coordinator of the Center for Sustainability Studies at São Paulo School of Business Administration (EAESP) at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, São Paulo.
A Professor at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) and Coordinator of the Center for Sustainability Studies, Prof. Mario Monzoni focuses on activities in the areas of sustainable finance, entrepreneurship and consumption, as well as value chains, climate change, sustainability and innovation. He was Coordinator of the Eco-Finances Project, an initiative of Friends of the Earth – Brazilian Amazon, and advised more than 20 financial institutions on environmental risks and opportunities. An expert in sustainability, finance and environment economics, Prof Monzoni did his PhD research in the World Bank’s Research Department and worked in the Financial Coordination of the Tietê River Clean-up Project Management Consortium. In addition, he runs his own company in the ecotourism sector.
Prof Monzoni will contribute as a panellist on “Transculturality and Leadership Development”.
Dr. Jutta Nübel
Director Diversity & Inclusion at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Germany.
Dr Jutta Nübel has been working for MTU Friedrichshafen, a brand of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, for almost 30 years. Having previously held the position of the Director Technical Documentation, she was appointed Director Diversity & Inclusion in 2017. The main focus of her team’s work has been the development of new working environments and customer markets, the establishment of agile and flat corporate structures, as well as the design and implementation of a “diversity culture”.
Dr Jutta Nübel has a doctorate from the RWTH Aachen University, where she conducted research on individual and computational approaches to understanding information text.
At the Transcultural Leadership Summit, Dr Jutta Nübel will lead the workshop on “Working in Transcultural Teams – A Living Lab Workshop with Rolls-Royce Power Systems”.
Dr. Flávia Rocha
Senior Director for Institutional Policy and Strategy at Conservation International Brazil, and member of the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in Brazil.
Dr Flávia Rocha is a member of the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in Brazil (SDSN Brazil), leading the Education Hub of the network. A Biological Sciences graduate with a Masters and a PhD in Ecology, Flávia Rocha is the Senior Director of Policy and Institutional Strategy for Conservation International, a globally-acting NGO with a focus on conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity, education for sustainable development and urban ecology.
Dr Flávia Rocha is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences of the Forestry Institute of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, where she is responsible for the Laboratory of Studies on Biodiversity and Sustainability.
In her keynote, she will share her perspectives on sustainable urban development with us.
Dr. Martin Teigeler
Executive Vice President R&D at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Germany.
Dr Martin Teigeler, Executive Vice President Engineering at Rolls-Royce Power Systems since January 2018, is responsible for the management of all engineering activities of the Business Unit at global level. This covers technologies from engines to system solutions, including innovations in the fields of hybrids, battery containers and automation technology. He previously held the position of Director R&D Global Chassis for Daimler Buses in Brazil, as well as various other executive roles at Daimler AG. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Combustion Enginesfrom the University of Kaiserslautern and was part of the Research Group Commercial Vehicles of Daimler-Benz AG and the Daimler Talent Program Exchange Group.
Representing our main sponsor Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Dr Martin Teigeler will give a dinner speech on “Transcultural Leadership and Innovation Management in Practice”.
Thomas Timm
Executive Vice-President and Member of the Board of the German Chamber of Commerce, São Paulo.
Thomas Timm will represent the German Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo, whose Executive Vice-President he has been since 2004.
After completing his major in law and business administration at the University of Hamburg in 1980, Thomas Timm studied agricultural economics at the University of Kiel. He specialized as a research assistant in the Institute for Business Administration and Market Research of the Federal Institute for Dairy Research, serving as a project manager for research for the European Communities. He had his first contact with South America as an employee of BASF in 1984. In 1997, he took on the role as deputy chief executive of the German-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
We look forward to Thomas Timm’s keynote on “Brazil and Germany – Potentials for Economic Cooperation”, as well as to his contribution as an expert in the workshop on “Sustainable Business Strategies”.
Prof. Josef Wieland
Director of the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin & Academic Lead of the Transcultural Leadership Summit, Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen.
Prof Josef Wieland holds the Chair of Institutional Economics, Organizational Governance, Integrity Management and Transcultural Leadership and is the Director of the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin | LEIZ. An expert in the field of compliance and business ethics for more than 20 years, he initiated the Forum Compliance & Integrity (FCI) and chairs the Advisory Board of the German Network of Business Ethics (DNWE). He is a member of, inter alia, the national CSR Forum, the jury for the German government’s CSR Award, and the Advisory Council for Sustainability of the government of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Since 2017, Josef Wieland has been Vice-President (Research) of Zeppelin University.
Prof Josef Wieland will give the opening address on “Transculturality and Innovation” and lead the panel discussions on “Transculturality and Leadership Development” and “Transcultural Leadership in Practice”, and conclude the Summit.