Dr. Koch brings extensive international experience in finance, having held leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, St. Jude Medical, and Abbott Laboratories. He later served as Group CFO of the MEDIAN Group in Berlin, one of Europe’s leading operators of rehabilitation clinics. Most recently, he was Group CFO at Schülke & Mayr, an internationally active provider of disinfection and hygiene solutions based in Hamburg, where he oversaw finance, IT, legal, and compliance. In addition to his executive roles, he serves as a senior advisor in the IT and private equity sectors. He is a certified executive coach (INSEAD) and brings a strong understanding of artificial intelligence in business and education. 

“With Dr. Koch, ESMT gains a leader who combines operational excellence with strategic vision,” says Werner Zedelius, chair of the ESMT Supervisory Board. “His ability to strengthen cross-functional collaboration will be key to further advancing the university’s positive development.” 

Dr. Koch adds, “I’m excited to join the ESMT team and help drive the next phase of the school’s financial and operational growth. Building on its existing strengths, I aim to support ESMT’s strategic goals with a long-term, sustainable perspective.” 

Georg Garlichs, the current CFO, will transition into a new role as real estate director at ESMT. In this capacity, he will lead the strategic development and management of the school’s real estate projects. ESMT President Jörg Rocholl says, “We extend our sincere thanks to Georg Garlichs for his highly successful work as CFO over the past eleven years. With great dedication and foresight, he has played a key role in advancing the development of our administrative structures. We are all the more pleased that he will remain at ESMT in a new capacity and take responsibility for this important area.”