International MBA

Dr Heiko Kersebohm

Specialization: Corporate Finance

Heiko works with private equity investor Bencis Capital Partners, most recently as Managing Director. He began his career at Commerzbank and thereafter worked as a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group in BCG’s Berlin and Duesseldorf offices. He was part of BCG’s Private Equity Task Force, focusing on commercial due diligence as well as value creation projects in private equity portfolio companies. Heiko holds a Master’s degree in Management and a Doctoral degree in Finance, both from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management.

DR MAXIMILIAN SCHREITER

HHL-Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany

Specialization: financial management

Maximilian is Research Associate at the Chair of Financial Management and Banking at the Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL). His field of research is corporate valuation using stochastic processes. He joined the business school in April 2014 after two years as Consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. During this time, he worked for different consumer goods and retail companies in Western and Eastern Europe as well as in Africa.

His academic background was shaped at the Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main (B.Sc.) and at the Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL) (M.Sc.). During his studies, he took twice the opportunity for semesters abroad: first at the University of Sydney and a second time at the University of Chicago (Booth School).

Beyond that, Maximilian is an enthusiastic sportsman. He plays tennis since his early childhood for which he also has a coaching license, and he runs in preparation for a marathon. History is another passion for him where he tries to learn as much as possible through reading and traveling.

M.SC. CHRISTIAN BRANDS

HHL-Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany

Specialization: strategic management, international management.

Christian Brands graduated from HHL where he received his M.Sc. degree majoring in Strategy and Finance. In 2008, he spent a term abroad at the Helsinki School of Economics, Finland. Before joining HHL he graduated in International Management and French at the University of Bath School of Management, United Kingdom and gained work experience in the German retail and consulting industry.

DR ANDREI NEBOIAN

WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany

Specializations: Operations Management, Entrepreneurship, Leadership.

Dr. Andrei Neboian is the founder and director of Xioneer Systems GmbH, specializing in development and production of additive manufacturing equipment. He holds several patents and awards for innovative 3d printing technologies. In 2019, his company was acquired by BellandTechnology AG.

Before Xioneer Systems, Dr. Neboian developed decision support tools in operations management. He consulted large multinational corporations in logistics, industrial hardware, and metals manufacturing.

Dr. Neboian also served as a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group where he worked with international clients from banking, private equity, construction materials, telecommunications and power distribution in Europe and Middle East.

Dr. Neboian received a doctoral degree in Operations Research (OR) from the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany, in cooperation with the INSEAD Business School and the French postal operator La Poste France. At the WHU, he was a regular speaker at MBA, MSc and BSc courses in logistics, sustainable business models and operations management. He also received additional training from the Kellogg School of Management (USA). Dr. Neboian holds a MSc. in Electrical Engineering and Automation from the Vienna University of Technology.

In 2012, Andrei Neboian was awarded the renowned George B. Dantzig Dissertation Award. In 2011, he was selected finalist for the Daniel Wagner Prize for Excellence in Operations Research Practice at the INFORMS (USA). His research was published in top scientific journals.

PROF. DR DOMINIK K. KANBACH

Dominik K. Kanbach is Full Professor and Chairholder of Strategic Entrepreneurship at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management in Germany. He leads the Strategic Entrepreneurship Research Group at HHL and is also the is co-founder and Academic Director of DIGITAL SPACE – The HHL Digital Transformation Platform focused on incubating digital business models. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor with the School of Business, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, India.

His research interest covers the fields of strategic management, entrepreneurship, and innovation management. He has authored or co-authored articles in a wide variety of international journals, including Harvard Business Review, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Industrial Marketing Management, Review of Managerial Science, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Journal of Cleaner Production, among many others. He also serves as an Associate Editor for Review of Managerial Science, European Journal of Innovation Management and Journal of Organizational Change Management. Professor Kanbach has won numerous international teaching and research awards.

Before his academic career he worked in the chemical industry as well as in strategy consulting throughout Europe and Latin America.

Luca Bertocci

Luca Bertocci (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucabertocci/) is a co-founder of Human Centric Group, responsible for its analytical department.

After a bachelor degree in finance and a graduate one in Marketing Management (both at Bocconi university in Milan), he started his career in the public sector with Desk Promos Shanghai, the special agency of the Milan Chamber of Commerce in China. He worked closely with the Italian Trade Agency at the organization of Expo Shanghai 2010, gaining precious experience both in the public sector and in terms of events. He later grew his analytical skills as a global demand planner for Pirelli Tyres, before moving to Budapest to work in strategic consulting (Garrison Group, a US-based branding agency specialized in customer-centric marketing).

In 9 years he climbed the whole company ladder till becoming an Equity Partner. He had the chance to work in over 30 countries with clients like Danone, Carrefour, Tesco, Visa, IKEA, Luxottica, PepsiCo Group, Carlsberg, the Norwegian Olympics Committee, Sanofi Aventis, Bayer and many more.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Luca is also a lecturer (International MBA, EMBA and Tech MBA) at Wrocław School of Business in Wrocław, at Krakow School of Business and at AGH Business School. Last but not least, he is also a Bocconi university mentor and a pro-bono advisor for startups in Poland.

Prof. Dr Andreas Wilms

Prof. Dr. Andreas Wilms is a graduate of HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, diploma class of 2004. He then worked as research and teaching associate at the chair of finance (Prof. Dr. Schwetzler) and wrote his Ph.D. thesis on “Fairness Opinions in Corporate Control Transactions”.

Afterwards Wilms joined BCG The Boston Consulting Group as consultant. His projects were primary in the consumer goods and energy industry with a topic focus on change management. In 2012 he was appointed full professor for business administration, esp. financial management at Technische Hochschule Brandenburg.

His teaching and research activities concentrated on managerial issues and corporate finance. In 2019 Prof. Wilms was elected rector of Technische Hochschule Brandenburg.

Prof. Dr tOBIAs Dauth

Prof. Dr. Dauth holds the Chair of International Management at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. In his research, he focuses on strategic, organizational and cultural challenges of international firms. For instance, his work investigates the impact of internationalization and diversity in top management teams. The research output is recognized on an international level – e.g., through best paper awards at the Academy of Management Conference (AoM) or at the European Academy of Management Conference (EURAM).

Prof. Dr. Dauth is a member of the German Academic Association for Business Research (VHB), the European International Business Academy (EIBA) and the Academy of International Business (AIB). Moreover, he serves as reviewer for several international academic journals.

DR MAURICE STEINHOFF 

Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, where also leads the HHL Entrepreneurship Cluster and the HHL Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. A dedicated researcher, educator, and ecosystem builder, he focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital transformation. Beyond academia, he actively shapes Europe’s startup landscape as Co-Founder and Host of Stage Two, the continent’s largest venture competition for university spin-offs. He also serves as Co-Founder and Managing Director of HHL DIGITAL SPACE, a platform supporting early-stage entrepreneurs.

Since 2020, has taught at institutions such as ESCP, the University of Business Wroclaw, and Universidad del Pacífico in Peru, emphasizing problem-solving, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership. Earlier in his career, he worked as a consultant at MAC IT-Solutions and co-founded Project Interactive. His mission is to empower the next generation of founders and strengthen the European startup ecosystem.

Paweł Raszeja

A graduate of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, professional experience began in 1993 at Telekomunikacja Polska S.A.

During 31 yrs, he has been managing projects for over 23 yrs, including over 18 in the IT sector. He implemented the first system at TP for automatic creation of broadband services, then took up the position of Program Director whose goal, together with France Telecom, was to implement a measurement and service creation platform.

In April 2011, he became a member of the Euro2012 team and took up the position of Telco Venue Manager. Paweł – a UEFA-accredited Manager, together with a team of over 120 members, built IT infrastructure at the Wrocław city stadium, thanks to which over 1.4 billion people around the world could see and hear broadcasts of matches played at the Wrocław city stadium.

In January 2013, he started working at IBM, serving as Manager of the Project Management Department and Europe Transition Leader, managing a team of over 200 Project Managers in Europe and India..

Currently, from September 2021, he continues his professional career at EY, leading strategic projects. He has been teaching MBA classes at the Wrocław Academy of Business for over 7 years, and he is also the idea and co-creator of the original MBA Program „Project Management & Leadership”.

PROF. DR REMIGIUSZ SMOLIŃSKI

Negotiation professor at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. In his research, he has focused on the theory and practice of negotiation, especially in an international environment and innovation management.

He graduated with a PhD from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management in the field of international negotiation and was a visiting scholar at the Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Dr. Smolinski has published numerous specialist articles in peer-reviewed journals and host a popular Podcast on Negotiation. In addition to his academic career, he has extensive experience as a senior executive, management consultant, coach, and trainer. Dr. Smolinski is the founder of The Negotiation Challenge, an international negotiation competition for students and professionals.

PROF. ANETA SZYMAŃSKA, PHD, MBA

Doctor of Economics in the field of management sciences, a graduate of Kensington College of Business in London (Business Administration program accredited by the Association of Business Executives), the University of Wroclaw (Department of English Philology – specialization: translation) and Wroclaw University of Economics (Postgraduate Master’s Degree in Management – Executive MBA program).

After graduation, she worked as a lecturer of marketing-related subjects at several universities. She then took the position of Spokesperson for Wroclaw University of Economics, where she was responsible for the promotional and PR activities of the university. She also worked as Director of NCJE Language School and Project Manager at Mainseek.

Since 2012, she has been associated with the Wroclaw of Business University of Applied Sciences (formerly WSH), which is part of the VISTULA Group of universities. She currently holds the position of Vice-Rector for Development and External Relations, Director of MBA and Postgraduate Programs, and University Professor. She teaches management, marketing, public relations, business communication, employer branding, public speaking and business presentations to undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and MBA students. She is also a promoter of many master’s theses.

She has participated in numerous trainings, seminars, workshops and conferences, both domestically and internationally (including France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Romania, the Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America), delivering papers at many of them. She is the author of more than 40 publications on management, marketing and public relations, as well as several applied research projects. She has written a book entitled. „Public relations in the system of integrated marketing communication” and is co-author of several monographs.

TOMASZ GIBAS

Tomasz Gibas, an MBA alumnus from WSH, is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive in the IT sector. His career is marked by founding several IT service companies and product startups, including Aidar Solutions and Photon Education. He has a strong track record in mergers and acquisitions, having successfully navigated the sale of multiple companies.

His senior leadership experience extends internationally, where he has demonstrated expertise in building and enhancing international sales and marketing structures. Gibas has a notable ability to acquire and manage global clients, contributing significantly to the companies he has been part of.

Currently, Tomasz serves as the EVP International Operations at Xplus S.A., where he plays a pivotal role in the company’s global expansion efforts. In addition to his professional achievements, he is also dedicated to sharing his knowledge and experience with students at WSB, focusing on sales, globalization, and innovations in organizations. His insights and expertise make him a valuable asset both in the corporate world and in academia.

BARTOSZ GONCZAREK, PHD

Specialization: International Business & Human Growth in the Age of AI

Bartosz is an accomplished entrepreneur who built, led, and exited one of Europe’s most successful software products that won the Best of App Store award by Apple. He is a finalist of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year and the finalist of the 5th edition of the Polish Business Roundtable. His background in Interim Management, Consulting, and Microeconomics helps him to vividly lecture on complex, multifaceted topics of international business, which he approached having vast experience operating businesses in the EU and the US. Bartosz is an active member of the CEE entrepreneurial ecosystem and a supervisory board member of a stock-listed company Cloud Technologies.

DR JANUSZ KOSICKI

Senior executive with over 20 years of experience at General Manager and CEO levels with extensive local and regional responsibility in the medical equipment and life sciences sectors.

From 2011 Lecturer at the Wrocław Business University at MBA program of Managerial Competences, Leadership Experience, Negotiations, Entrepreneurship and Modern Management.

Founder of Kosicki Consulting Company, Management Consultant and Executive Interim Manager.

My passion is to give students practical experience for their development and career.

BARTŁOMIEJ OSIEKA

Advisor and academic lecturer. A graduate of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, WSB-NLU in Nowy Sącz, and the Polish Academy of Sciences. From 2006 to 2011, he managed the Ernst & Young Better Government program. He participated in many research projects in the field of economics and law. He collaborated with teams from the London School of Economics, Emory University, the University of Oxford, the European Bank Coordination Initiative, and the Polish Ombudsman.

Scholarship holder of the Kingdom of Norway, DAAD, Hertie Foundation, and Marie Curie fellowship.

EDYTA SAMBORSKA

Currently, IT Project Manager in Kyndryl (before IBM, Nokia, WSB Merito). She is successfully using hybrid project management methodologies, providing the company with measurable financial benefits. In her 15 years of experience, she has implemented programs and projects in such fields as Hybrid Cloud, Transition and Transformation as well as European Union funds in companies with Polish and foreign capital.

Certified AWS Cloud Practitioner, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, FinOps Practitioner, FinOps Trained Leader, Agile PM, ITIL, Six Sigma Green Belt, PRINCE2, Professional Scrum Master, Internal ISO Auditor.

MBA graduate at Wroclaw Business University, WSB Merito University postgraduate studies: Managers’, People Management, Project Management, Quality Management and Six Sigma. MBA Lecturer, Trainer, Public Speaker. Cloud, Big Data, AI and new technologies enthusiast. Privately mum of twins, bachata dancer and criminal books addicted.