Get to know some of the ESMT core faculty who will deliver your courses during the Master in Global Management (MGM), Master in Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MIE), Master in Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) programs.
Merih Sevilir
Nationality: Turkey/USA
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurship, gender gaps in leadership and entrepreneurship, healthcare finance, mergers and acquisitions
Courses taught: Financial Management and Entrepreneurial Finance
Fun fact: Studied, lived and worked in 5 countries in the last 20 years (England, France, USA, Italy and Germany).
"It lays the foundations of modern finance theory based on Nobel Prize winning theories in financial economics. Using finance theory to understand the creation and growth of entrepreneurial startups."
David Royane
Nationality: UK
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.; University of Oxford, Post doc.
Research area/focus: Industrial organization and behavioral economics
Courses taught: Business Economics
"We will explore business-relevant economic concepts and results, bringing them to life through applications and interactive exercises. The questions we will address range from the fundamental, e.g., 'What are the benefits of a free market?' to the practical, e.g., 'How should you price a product line?'"
Matt Bothner
Nationality: USA
Education: Columbia University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Semantic network analysis; status measured through eigenvector centrality
Courses taught: Status and Organizations: Approaches to Leading with Agility
Fun fact: I played basketball in the junior Olympics
“Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers
Nazlı Sönmez
Nationality: Turkey
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Operational innovation in healthcare
Courses taught: Operations and Global Supply Chain Management (MGM/MIE/MAAI), Analytics and AI for Healthcare Management (MAAI)
Fun fact: I was the co-founder of Bilkent University Baking Club during my college years.
"You can't manage or improve what you can't measure."
Eric Quintane
Nationality: France
Education: University of Melbourne, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Social network analysis
Courses taught: Managing Organizations is a Global Context (MGM/MIE), Organizational Analytics: Data, Models, and People (MAAI)
Fun fact: I convinced my family to spend a night with me in a treehouse in the middle of the Amazon forest.
“No one can effectively implement third-generation strategies through second-generation organizations run by first-generation managers.” - Bartlett and Ghoshal (1990)
Julia Langdon
Nationality: Spain/UK
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: How we judge unethical behavior, moral lay theories, moral messaging around disability, and negotiations.
Courses taught: Negotiations
Fun fact: I once walked from Bordeaux to Valencia.
"It is not the critic who counts; ... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, ... who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, ... and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Theodore Roosevelt
Linus Dahlander
Nationality: Sweden
Education: Chalmers University of Technology, Ph.D. and Stanford University, Post doc.
Courses taught: Innovation, entrepreneurship, new technologies
Fun fact: I once broke my arm while arm wrestling with a childhood friend. We are still friends even though he won.
"AI is changing how we innovate by opening new ways to solve problems and think creatively. But many people still don’t understand how to leverage it to the fullest potential."
Jamie Song
Nationality: South Korea
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurial strategy, social networks, machine learning
Courses taught: Foundations of Strategic Management
Fun fact: I’ve lived across four continents and seven cities in the past ten years.
“The principles of strategic management will be a compass guiding you through the complexities of business, illuminating paths to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage, and empowering you to shape the future of organizations.”
Jan Sebastian Nimczik
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Mannheim, Dr. rer. pol.
Research area/focus: Labour markets and immigration
Courses taught: Data Science for Analytics (MGM/MIE), Machine Learning and Causality (MAAI)
" In this class we connect the predictive power of machine learning with the quest for answers to causal questions that help us make thorough decisions."
Huseyin Gurkan
Nationality: Turkey
Education: Fuqua School of Business is the business school of Duke University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Decision sciences, incentive management
Courses taught: Advanced Decision Analysis (MAAI), and Statistics in (MGM)
Fun fact: I have never tried doner kebap in Berlin.
Angeliki Papachroni
Nationality: Greece
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Strategy & innovation
Courses taught: Foundations of Entrepreneurship (MIE), Organizing for Innovation (MIE), Ambidextrous Leadership (MGM)
Fun fact: So far I have traveled to 29 Greek islands, there are approximately only 198 to go!
“There is nothing more practical than a good theory” - Kurt Lewin
Oliver Binz
Nationality: Germany
Education: Duke University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Valuation
Courses taught: Financial Accounting
Fun fact: Lived in 7 countries
"A = L + E"
Angeliki Papachroni
Nationality: Greece
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Strategy & innovation
Courses taught: Foundations of Entrepreneurship (MIE), Organizing for Innovation (MIE), Ambidextrous Leadership (MGM)
Fun fact: So far I have traveled to 29 Greek islands, there are approximately only 198 to go!
“There is nothing more practical than a good theory” - Kurt Lewin
Merih Sevilir
Nationality: Turkey/USA
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurship, gender gaps in leadership and entrepreneurship, healthcare finance, mergers and acquisitions
Courses taught: Financial Management and Entrepreneurial Finance
Fun fact: Studied, lived and worked in 5 countries in the last 20 years (England, France, USA, Italy and Germany).
"It lays the foundations of modern finance theory based on Nobel Prize winning theories in financial economics. Using finance theory to understand the creation and growth of entrepreneurial startups."
David Royane
Nationality: UK
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.; University of Oxford, Post doc.
Research area/focus: Industrial organization and behavioral economics
Courses taught: Business Economics
"We will explore business-relevant economic concepts and results, bringing them to life through applications and interactive exercises. The questions we will address range from the fundamental, e.g., 'What are the benefits of a free market?' to the practical, e.g., 'How should you price a product line?'"
Nazlı Sönmez
Nationality: Turkey
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Operational innovation in healthcare
Courses taught: Operations and Global Supply Chain Management (MGM/MIE/MAAI), Analytics and AI for Healthcare Management (MAAI)
Fun fact: I was the co-founder of Bilkent University Baking Club during my college years.
"You can't manage or improve what you can't measure."
Eric Quintane
Nationality: France
Education: University of Melbourne, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Social network analysis
Courses taught: Managing Organizations is a Global Context (MGM/MIE), Organizational Analytics: Data, Models, and People (MAAI)
Fun fact: I convinced my family to spend a night with me in a treehouse in the middle of the Amazon forest.
“No one can effectively implement third-generation strategies through second-generation organizations run by first-generation managers.” - Bartlett and Ghoshal (1990)
Linus Dahlander
Nationality: Sweden
Education: Chalmers University of Technology, Ph.D. and Stanford University, Post doc.
Courses taught: Innovation, entrepreneurship, new technologies
Fun fact: I once broke my arm while arm wrestling with a childhood friend. We are still friends even though he won.
"AI is changing how we innovate by opening new ways to solve problems and think creatively. But many people still don’t understand how to leverage it to the fullest potential."
Oliver Binz
Nationality: Germany
Education: Duke University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Valuation
Courses taught: Financial Accounting
Fun fact: Lived in 7 countries
"A = L + E"
Bianca Schmitz
Nationality: Germany
Education: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Dr. rer. pol.
Research area/focus: Innovation, hidden champions and family firms, sales
Courses taught: Design Thinking
Fun fact: Being a “Kölsch Mädche” I love the Cologne Carnival.
"Design thinking isn't just a methodology; it's a mindset that transforms human-centered challenges into opportunities for innovation."
Jens Weinmann
Nationality: Germany
Education: London Business School
Research area/focus: Innovation, digital transformation, design thinking, energy transformation, sustainability
Courses taught: Design Thinking, Sustainable Energy Future
Fun fact: Tried to become rich with producing NFTs and publishing them on web3 marketplaces (failed, at the least the part of becoming rich.
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction.” - Bill Gates
Jamie Song
Nationality: South Korea
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurial strategy, social networks, machine learning
Courses taught: Foundations of Strategic Management
Fun fact: I’ve lived across four continents and seven cities in the past ten years.
“The principles of strategic management will be a compass guiding you through the complexities of business, illuminating paths to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage, and empowering you to shape the future of organizations.”
Julia Langdon
Nationality: Spain/UK
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: How we judge unethical behavior, moral lay theories, moral messaging around disability, and negotiations.
Courses taught: Negotiations
Fun fact: I once walked from Bordeaux to Valencia.
"It is not the critic who counts; ... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, ... who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, ... and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Theodore Roosevelt
Stefan Wagner
Nationality: Germany
Education: LMU Munich, Dr. habil., Dr. oec. publ.
Research area/focus: Technology and Innovation Management
Courses taught: Economics of Innovation and New Technology , Innovation Policy and Regulation.
Fun fact: Despite being German, I have a weakness for vintage Italian vehicles. While still dreaming of owning an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, I acquired two Vespas with a combined age of 72 years and still uses both of them!
"It is always fun to bring insights from my research to the classroom."
Jan Sebastian Nimczik
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Mannheim, Dr. rer. pol.
Research area/focus: Labour markets and immigration
Courses taught: Data Science for Analytics (MGM/MIE), Machine Learning and Causality (MAAI)
" In this class we connect the predictive power of machine learning with the quest for answers to causal questions that help us make thorough decisions."
Matthias Qian
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Oxford, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: AI and entrepreneurship
Courses taught: Econometrics, Large language models
"Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom."
Vali Berlin
Vali Berlin, ESMT's Entrepreneurship Hub, fosters entrepreneurship for economic, environmental, and social value in Europe and beyond. While not a traditional faculty member, Vali is an important part of your journey within our MIE program, providing essential resources and mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Vali supports students with specialized startup and innovation programs that lead them through the entrepreneurial process, from ideation to implementation. These initiatives ensure students acquire the necessary skills and insights to launch and sustain impactful businesses.
Vali Berlin
Vali Berlin, ESMT's Entrepreneurship Hub, fosters entrepreneurship for economic, environmental, and social value in Europe and beyond. While not a traditional faculty member, Vali is an important part of your journey within our MIE program, providing essential resources and mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Vali supports students with specialized startup and innovation programs that lead them through the entrepreneurial process, from ideation to implementation. These initiatives ensure students acquire the necessary skills and insights to launch and sustain impactful businesses.
Catalina Stefanescu-Cuntze
Nationality: Romania/UK
Education: Cornell University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Credit risk, customer analytics
Courses taught: Analytics leadership
“All models are wrong. Some are useful. (G.E.P. Box)”
Nazlı Sönmez
Nationality: Turkey
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Operational innovation in healthcare
Courses taught: Operations and Global Supply Chain Management (MGM/MIE/MAAI), Analytics and AI for Healthcare Management (MAAI)
Fun fact: I was the co-founder of Bilkent University Baking Club during my college years.
"You can't manage or improve what you can't measure."
Urs Müller
Nationality: Germany/Switzerland
Education: University of Goettingen,Dr. phil.
Research area/focus: Business ethics
Courses taught: Analytics and Society
Fun fact: I collect selfies in front of McDonald’s and sort literature, art, and philosophy books by date of birth of the author.
“Analytics and AI will shape our future – for the better or worse. I am rather optimistic, but business will need to contribute to turn them into drivers of societal benefit.”
Vlada Pleshcheva
Nationality: Russia
Education: Humboldt University Berlin, Dr. rer. pol.
Research area/focus: Leveraging advanced analytics to understand consumer behavior and devise environmentally sustainable strategies
Courses taught: Value Chain Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Advanced Marketing Modeling, Consumer Preference Modeling
"The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight." - Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Jan Sebastian Nimczik
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Mannheim, Dr. rer. pol.
Research area/focus: Labour markets and immigration
Courses taught: Data Science for Analytics (MGM/MIE), Machine Learning and Causality (MAAI)
" In this class we connect the predictive power of machine learning with the quest for answers to causal questions that help us make thorough decisions."
Tamer Boyaci
Nationality: Canada/Turkey
Education: Columbia University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Human-AI collaboration, sustainable operations
Courses taught: Modeling and AI for Sustainability
"My course will not focus on predictions and predictive analytics, but rather prescriptive models and strategies for improving sustainability of business operations."
Matthias Qian
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Oxford, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: AI and entrepreneurship
Courses taught: Econometrics, Large language models
"Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom."
Jamie Song
Nationality: South Korea
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurial strategy, social networks, machine learning
Courses taught: Foundations of Strategic Management
Fun fact: I’ve lived across four continents and seven cities in the past ten years.
“The principles of strategic management will be a compass guiding you through the complexities of business, illuminating paths to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage, and empowering you to shape the future of organizations.”
Eric Quintane
Nationality: France
Education: University of Melbourne, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Social network analysis
Courses taught: Managing Organizations is a Global Context (MGM/MIE), Organizational Analytics: Data, Models, and People (MAAI)
Fun fact: I convinced my family to spend a night with me in a treehouse in the middle of the Amazon forest.
“No one can effectively implement third-generation strategies through second-generation organizations run by first-generation managers.” - Bartlett and Ghoshal (1990)
Huseyin Gurkan
Nationality: Turkey
Education: Fuqua School of Business is the business school of Duke University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Decision sciences, incentive management
Courses taught: Advanced Decision Analysis (MAAI), and Statistics in (MGM)
Fun fact: I have never tried doner kebap in Berlin.
David Royane
Nationality: UK
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.; University of Oxford, Post doc.
Research area/focus: Industrial organization and behavioral economics
Courses taught: Business Economics
"We will explore business-relevant economic concepts and results, bringing them to life through applications and interactive exercises. The questions we will address range from the fundamental, e.g., 'What are the benefits of a free market?' to the practical, e.g., 'How should you price a product line?'"