I studied economics at the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim, majoring in Human Resources & Organizational Psychology and Economics. In my thesis (supervision by Prof. Dr. Heinz Schuler), I am busy with "Preferences for Personnel Selection Procedures for candidates view and the underlying concept of social validity". I finished my studies in December 1992 with an honors degree.
After my studies I worked as a lecturer in government training at several training centers in the new federal states (topics Human Resources, Business Administration) before I received my PhD in November 1993 in the field of psychology in Tübingen. In my doctoral thesis I examined the effects of impression management and self-presentation behavior of job candidates in recruitment interviews and the resulting effects on the quality assessment. The thesis was supported by a grant from Landesgraduiertenstiftung Baden-Württemberg. The work was completed in November 1997 with a grade of "cum laude".
During my PhD I worked as a freelancer in several projects for various companies on the topics of personnel selection and personnel development. In July 1998 I joined IBM Deutschland GmbH as a consultant, lecturer and project manager in the HR Learning department. In this role I was responsible for organizing, managing and implementing all corporate leadership events, trainings and seminars in Germany. Main tasks were the design and implementation of procedures for personnel selection and potential analysis (e.g., assessment centers, biographical questionnaires, interview procedure) for internal and external customers.
After about 2 years I changed as a Leadership Recruitment Manager in a staff position at IBM Global Services. Main tasks consisted of setting up and managing a professional leadership recruitment team and the coordination of cooperation with external recruitment companies. Furthermore, I was responsible for leadership and training within this service unit in close coordination with the line management . In January 2003 I eventually switched to another IBM services unit as a Professional Development Leader. Focus was the design of a Professional Development (professional career) concept for employees in technical professions and the concept of a program to identify and promote high-potential candidates within a professional career ("Top Talent" program).
As I always enjoyed lecturing and teaching, I decided after almost eight years working in the same company in March 2006 to accept a professorship at the Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart. Since the summer semester 2006, I offer several lectures and seminars within the subject of "Human Resource Management" - both in the main study of the Bachelor program "Medienwirtschaft" as well as in depth at the Master level degree in "Elektronische Medien". In addition, some basic courses round off my portfolio. My interest areas are in the range of psychological aptitude testing, the Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Leadership and Professional Development. The role and importance of people in the organizational context has always interested and fascinated me.