Roland Berger names new dean for its strategy school

MUNICH — The Roland Berger School of Strategy and Economics (RBSE) has appointed Katrin Vernau (39) as its new Dean. The former Roland Berger consultant has an impressive track record in German academia.

“We are delighted to welcome back Katrin Vernau as a recognized academic expert and valued colleague. With her many years of broad-based experience, she will make an essential contribution to establishing the Roland Berger School of Strategy and Economics,” says Dr. Martin C. Wittig, CEO of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

Katrin Vernau began her career at the international strategy consultancy: for five years, she advised clients of Roland Berger in the Civil Economics Competence Center. She then moved into academia, joining the University of Ulm in 2002 and the University of Hamburg in 2006; at the latter, she was the university’s Chancellor (CFO/COO) until 2012. Vernau also has a seat on the supervisory board of Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University and the University of Bonn. She studied at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and Columbia Business School in New York.

Regarding her new role as Roland Berger Partner and Dean of the Roland Berger School of Strategy and Economics, Vernau says, “I am looking forward to this new task. The primary aims of RBSE are to refine management know-how for our employees, analyze global economic trends early on and make our expertise available to all international Roland Berger experts.”

The newly appointed Dean aims to expand the range of training courses on strategy and methodology for Roland Berger consultants and to develop new courses and training in cooperation with leading universities. “We also plan to expand our campus in Beijing to encourage even more international exchanges among our employees,” adds Vernau. “The next step is then to offer our clients access to selected workshops and training sessions.”

RBSE was founded in February 2012 with the aim of refining management know-how and focusing on global economic trends. The School currently has campuses in Munich, Berlin and Beijing. Through various fellowships, Roland Berger experts can get involved in the School’s activities, taking a sabbatical for several months in order to do so.