Dr Alexander Britz is a trainer, coach and facilitator who specializes on working with young scientist. He is by education an interdisciplinary scientist himself and worked for many years between chemistry, physics, and materials science. Next to science and academia, he is passionate about innovation, sustainability, diversity, and community. While working in academic research groups in Germany, Spain, and the United States, he noticed that science could be much more efficient and productive with improvements in communication and organization. Therefore, he made it his mission to explore new ways to facilitate science by helping especially young researchers to find new ways of working in academic research and develop their careers, also beyond academia. Dr Britz offers intense 1–3-day workshops, both online or on-site, in which the participants develop their communication, management, creativity and leadership skills. Furthermore, he continuously works on developing novel teaching and learning formats and finding new ways to elevate science and scientists.
Dr Uta Bronner works as a professor at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences in the Department of Business Psychology (focus: Human Resource Management). Previously, she gained more than ten years of practical experience in industry, where she worked as a human resources expert and manager. Most recently, she was head of personnel and organizational development at a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart.
As co-founder of impulsplus (www.impulsplus.com), Uta Bronner has more than 20 years of training and coaching experience. She is a certified coach, consultant and change agent. Her focus is on leadership and career planning in science.
Dr Neela Enke, a coach, mediator and biologist, graduated with a PhD in Biology from the Free University of Berlin. She carried out various research projects for 10 years, was involved in teaching, project coordination and promotion of young talent at various universities and research institutions in Germany, France, Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic.
She is a trained mediator with a focus on conflicts in research organisations. As a coach for research and administrative staff, professors, team leaders and teams she is offering workshops on career development in research, leadership, as well as diversity and conflict management. Furthermore she is involved as a board member in the coaching network of science and actively involved in the Fachverband Gender Diversity in the Bundesverband Mediation and in the ProFiL network association (Professionalisierung für Frauen in Forschung & Lehre).
Dr. Insa Flachsbarth is a business economist by training; she holds a PhD in agricultural economics and has over 10 years of experience as a researcher and scientific project manager in several European and American research institutions and universities. She is also an ICF certified coach and trainer and supports researchers at different career levels. Her coaching and trainings focus on (female) leadership in science, conflict resolution as well as fostering innovation in inter- and transdisciplinary team processes. Her workshops are designed to create long-lasting transformative experiences leaving the participants with confidence to create authentic and joyful (work) lives.
Dr Matteo Garavoglia is Research Associate at the University of Oxford’s Centre for International Studies and Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Previously, he was the Italy Program Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Centre on the United States and Europe and Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nietze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington DC. Matteo was educated at the universities of London (SOAS), Paris (Sciences Po) and Berlin (FUB). He lived in twelve countries across four continents and speaks English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Matteo worked with Impulsplus for over a decade and provides workshops on different subjects.
After ending her legal studies and having fully qualified as an attorney Barbara Hoffbauer has worked for over 20 years in the Human Resources management of different companies where she developed and deployed a variety of personal recruiting instruments from job interview to assessment center. Postgraduate business studies and qualifications as organization consultant, trainer and coach complement her academic background. In 2008 she founded KEPOS and has worked since on behalf of non-university research centers and universities with doctoral students and postdocs in the field of life science and others on questions regarding their professional orientation and their career objectives. She trains groups in the development of personal career goals and in all phases of the application process. Moreover, she advises experienced scientists at the transition into alternative careers outside academia. Beside her legal expertise in employment and academic law she is well-versed in the conception and execution of workshops and in the professional use of counseling and coaching tools. After a multiple-year leave of absence she resumed a main occupation as head of personnel and organisation in the public service in 2017.
Thomas Koch is a research management consultant and certified business trainer and coach. He provides hands-on workshops and individual guidance for researchers to realise their research ideas and career objectives. He also supports higher education institutions and research consortia in implementing strategic initiatives and preparing grant proposals. Holding a PhD in physical chemistry from the UK, he builds on 10 years of international experience as a researcher and 12 years of professional experience as a research manager and senior administrator at universities in Bochum (RUB) and Munich (LMU).
Prof Dr Annette Kolb is nationally active as a freelance trainer, consultant and coach for scientists. Her activities focus on topics such as strategic third-party funding acquisition and strategic career planning. Before starting her independent work in 2014, she was a professor in the Department of Biosciences at Goethe University Frankfurt and from 2015-2020 a research associate in the science coordination staff of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung.
Christelle Linsenmann is a coach, trainer and mediator with a broad experience in personal and career development. After graduating in economic studies she first gained over 15 years of experience in the Human Resources department of different companies (e.g. McKinsey & Company, Pro7Sat1 Media AG), where she led a team and specialized in Recruiting, Talent Management and Leadership Coaching. Christelle today works as a personnel developer at Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg for academic staff as well as freelance trainer and coach for individuals, companies and academic institutions. She uses her experience and knowledge from the variety of organizations, departments and industries she has worked with so far. A strong focus of her work is therefore to shape career paths and phases – be it training of self-management skills, advising in a transition to an alternative career outside academia or coaching into the first management position. Her expertise and passion lies in working in a resource-oriented manner in order to develop individual strengths and open up new pattern and perspectives.
Dr Matthias Merkelbach, a proficient coach certified by the Coaching Academy Stuttgart, is an expert in career strategy and team communication. The studied philosopher and Germanist has years of professional experience as a journalist, author of books and lecturer. Until 2011, he was the educational director of ISD GmbH, Stuttgart, responsible for the training program for international companies. Since 2009, as a trainer and seminar leader for Impulsplus, he has worked successfully with over 1000 doctoral candidates and post-docs on topics such as career planning, application, team building or communication in science and business.
Dr Silke Oehrlein-Karpi has been working as a coach and a trainer for scientists since 2008. Before becoming a coach, she led a project group for the Collaborative Research Centre 490 in Mainz. During those ten years she worked as a biologist in the field of medical basic research and gained a lot of experience in setting up and successfully leading scientific projects.
In terms of her current work, she uses her "insider knowledge" from her time in academia combined with her resource-oriented and diversity-related coaching perspective on individuals. She is a member of the Coachingnetz Wissenschaft e.V. Her group coaching workshops inspire, motivate and empower the participants in order to improve their self-efficacy regarding upcoming work situations and projects. More about her activities, you can find here.
Dr Gaby Schilling studied Chemistry and did her doctoral studies in solid state chemistry. For more than 17 years, she held various leading positions in an internationally operating DAX 30 company in Germany and the US and was heading teams of experts and managers in science, product development and product safety. She has thus gained profound first-hand experience in all phases of collaboration with employees – from recruitment over career development and promotion to change of career. Qualifications to business coach and team coach complement her practical experience.
Since 2012, Gaby Schilling has been working as coach and consultant for natural scientists in leadership positions. She also runs workshops and trains groups whereby the main focus is on the transition from science into industry and taking over leadership tasks.
Find out more about her activities here .
Dr. Dagmar Sigurdardottir is an international trainer, coach and consultant, specializing in the support of young scientists and researchers. She holds a PhD degree in Immunology with research experience in Germany, Great Britain and the USA and is a certified Career Counsellor. For more than a decade, she coordinated the International PhD Program at the Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology (now Biology), bringing the insider knowledge gained as start-up manager of a successful ecotourism company to the academic research setting. She has shared her deep understanding of work and life as a scientist, combined with her experience in and curiosity for developments in the world beyond the doors of academic and research institutions, with hundreds of young scientists and researchers.
Dr Nadine Sinclair is a strategy consultant, executive coach and entrepreneur, who started her career as a molecular biologist. Nadine completed her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in the group of Prof Dr Reinhard Lührmann.
Straight after her PhD, she switched career paths and joined McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant. In the last few years, Nadine has founded several businesses, one of which she recently sold to an industry leader. She also trained as a Co-Active Coach and is a licensed NLP Master Practitioner. In the past decade, she has been serving clients in various industries and has worked with individuals, startups, foundations, large corporations and governments in more than 20 countries. Her latest venture helps executives and entrepreneurs make changes to habitual thought processes and behaviors based on the latest insights from neuroscience and psychology.
Nadine's short bio
As a coach specialised in stress management and burnout prevention, Paul works with high-achieving executives and entrepreneurs from all over the world. Building on insights from neuroscience, cognitive science and behavioural economics, he helps his clients stay emotionally healthy through the ups and downs of running a business while delivering top performance under pressure.
Paul started his career as a Nuclear Propulsion Engineer with the British Royal Navy. As part of an elite group of submariners, he served during the Falkland’s conflict and the cold war and participated in several high-stake missions that remain classified until this day.
Paul’s short bio