A serial entrepreneur and former Canoe World Champion who turned from building companies to building impact.
That’s why I founded the Culture Code Foundation and today focus on Deuschlandwerte.
A serial entrepreneur and former Canoe World Champion with a deep passion for AI and Software.
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What drives me
My mission is to create positive value in the world - the more the better. By initiating projects with real impact, I shape the world of tomorrow. Every big disruption started with an idea that was grown to be a world-changing effort.
I lead with integrity.
I am obsessed with culture and imply good intentions unless proven otherwise. Whenever I interact with partners, collaborators or customers, I work for the long-term relationship. I am a strong believer in the Golden Rule and when I take decisions, I do not optimize for my own benefit, but for the joint benefit. If I make mistakes, I honestly apologize.
Further traits.
Life-long learner.
Learning compounds over time, so the more I can learn, the better. My curiosity does not stop on science or business - I am curious to learn in any dimension. One of my favorite years was 2015 when I learned the principles of machine learning from scratch.
Disciplined perfectionist.
While being a professional sportsmen I learned that that disciplined, hard work is necessary for big achievements. Already back then I was striving for the perfect run on wild water and nowadays, I strive for a perfect user experience with software.
100% reliable.
Reliability is key to establish trustful relationships. When I commit on a project, I deliver a high-quality outcome and do not change my mind in between. People say I am an organized, process-oriented person that nearly never drops a ball.
Radically candid.
I’d like to call things how they are while of course preserving the right tone in the right situation. Period. Further, I appreciate if people are candid with their intentions and their goals.
Embracing diversity.
Already in young years during my sports career, I have had the incredible chance to visit all continents. I ran a company with 20 different nationalities. Today, I bring that same openness to bridging different political and societal perspectives.
Thoughtful decision maker.
I enjoy building decision matrices and evaluate options thoroughly. Once I have taken a decision I stand up for its consequences, while I do not refrain to accept failures and revert wrong decisions.
Other interests
Civic engagement.
I believe strong societies need shared values, not just shared laws. That's why I initiated Deutschlandwerte, a cross-party initiative developing a binding values compass for Germany.
Saving our planet.
I am an active member of LFCA, an entrepreneurial community that drives climate action. I am offsetting my carbon footprint and take measures to actively reduce energy consumption.
Mountains and snow.
I stay as active as ever. In summer, you'll find me mountain biking or hiking in the Alps; in winter, I switch to skis - downhill, ski touring or cross-country, whatever the mountain allows.
My Story
“In a world of abundancy, happiness is the new currency. ”
Erik Pfannmöller