Strategic communications advisor to senior executives in clean transportation, housing, and the public sector — supporting organizations navigating transformation, regulation, and public scrutiny.

Serves as trusted counsel to CEOs and executive teams on reputation management, stakeholder engagement, and policy-facing communications. Designs integrated communications strategies aligning business transformation with market positioning in highly regulated environments. Develops messaging architectures and narrative platforms supporting organizational growth, public affairs, and crisis readiness. Leads complex, multi-stakeholder engagements from insight and strategy through execution and measurement.

Reported directly to the President & CEO of the national nonprofit accelerating clean transportation in the U.S. Led a 20-person, five-function communications organization spanning media relations, creative, events, editorial, and digital.

Repositioned the organization through a refreshed brand identity and value proposition, grounded in competitive analysis and aligned to a new five-year strategy. Built planning, measurement, and accountability systems that materially increased communications effectiveness and organizational capacity. Designed and implemented crisis communications protocols, improving organizational readiness and safeguarding reputation.

Independent consultancy running in parallel with the IAA New Mobility World role — and the primary advisory vehicle after it concluded.

Supported the launch of H2UB, Europe's first hydrogen startup hub. Designed thought-leadership platforms and strategic events for the Federal Foreign Office, Goethe Institute, and Heinrich Böll Foundation. Delivered keynotes and moderated panels at SXSW, Mobile World Congress, Smart City Expo, and EcoMotion.

Authored How to Make More People Ride Bikes in Cities — a comparative behavioral economics study across Berlin and San Diego — which influenced policy decisions and opened city government relationships central to New Mobility World's program. Authored a policy paper on the regulation of mobile HVAC systems in passenger cars, identifying air conditioning operation as a regulatory blind spot responsible for 6–9 million tons of EU CO2 emissions annually.

New Mobility World was built as a platform within a platform — and deliberately structured outside the IAA's existing organizational architecture. Run through evenson LLC, an independent entity created specifically to give the program the freedom and operational agility that the VDA organization could not provide. Form followed strategic function.

The platform's defining achievement was audience transformation. 85% of participating organizations came from sectors new to IAA — tech companies, municipal governments, startups, civil society. The show did not grow incrementally. It became something categorically different.

Spent nine years building the communications infrastructure for Germany's most powerful industry association — shaping department architecture, crafting the industry narrative, and leading through crisis.

Built the foundation. Joined as the automotive industry's public reputation was under pressure, prompting a leadership change. Reporting to the new president, built the communications department from scratch and unified corporate, public affairs, and IAA Motor Show communications under a single strategy. Created the industry's first brand-independent reputation-tracking system with TNS Kantar, laying the groundwork for future challenges.

Set the agenda. Spearheaded industry narratives on electrification, automation, and connected mobility, positioning the industry as an innovation leader amid technological transformation. Created annual secondary education materials on transportation, emissions, and future mobility. By the time Dieselgate broke, the industry had regained its top reputation among German sectors.

Built bridges. Forged sustained relationships with environmental NGOs and Green Party leadership, as well as with startup ecosystems — not as a defensive measure but as deliberate repositioning. Auto 3.0 and other cross-ideological initiatives built the trust that proved essential when tested.

Then: Dieselgate. The Volkswagen emissions scandal broke at the 2015 IAA motor show. Helped shape the association's immediate response, acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, affirming that strict compliance rules precluded such an occurrence under VDA's roof, and supporting consequences if the allegations proved true. This approach protected the association's reputation while acknowledging the issue.

Immediately co-led a unified communications strategy with the political managing director — internally with members and externally. Took editorial lead on a decisive opinion piece for a key-stakeholder newsletter, outlining regulatory context, technical details, and the association's stance. The newsletter became the backbone of all post-crisis messaging. Co-led the first member meeting, asserting the association's leadership and unifying its communications.

Years of trust-building with Green Party leaders paid off — they responded with nuance, thanks to established dialogue and mutual understanding.

The IAA Frankfurt was the world's largest automotive trade show. For nine years, its global marketing and communications operation ran in parallel with the VDA association brief.

Introduced KPI-driven, digital-first marketing at a moment when trade show communications were still largely print and broadcast-oriented. Built measurement frameworks that made the return on every communications investment visible and accountable. Expanded the IAA's education program fivefold — a model that would later inform New Mobility World's curriculum partnerships.

Work with transportation startups revealed three converging pressures: the sector was transforming in terms of participants and value chains; the exhibition model was straining under the weight of prototypes rather than products; and interactive formats were consistently outperforming static displays in audience engagement. Those insights became the strategic brief for New Mobility World.

Established and led MetaDesign's Middle East practice, directing brand and communications strategy for major regional clients and building cross-cultural stakeholder relationships across Gulf markets.

Independent strategic consultant to campaign manager Kirsten Böttner. Worked directly with party leadership and candidates on strategy formation, agency selection and direction, and full campaign execution. Behind the curtain throughout — the candidates were the story — but present and consequential in every room where decisions were made.

Joined as an intern in 1992; rose to Partner and Managing Director by 2000. Led the Berlin office (~200) and the European network (~1,800) at one of Germany's most decorated creative agencies. Built the tech practice, the New Economy Business School, and the Friends Academy professional development program.

Strategic communications and brand consulting for major German and European clients — including the Actros launch for Daimler Trucks and the HLX market creation for TUI, both of which became award-winning benchmarks for their categories. Alongside client work, served as external CMO for HLX from 2002 to 2003, contracted specifically in that role and on-site at least two days a week.