08.03.2021 | Amsterdam, Münster, Maastricht
Today the degree of "Doctor of Philosophy, together with all rights, privileges and responsibilities thereto appertaining" was awarded to Alexander Lennart Schmidt, Team Member of the S2BMRC.
Even during his Master's programme, he struck us as a high-performing, curious and reliable student. The world needs people like that, and we need them in our Research Centre. So it was only logical that we offered him a researcher and doctoral position. Alexander was allocated to a research project ""Managing Disruptive Change" which received funding from a grant (03FH031PX5) of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). However Alexander has taken every opportunity to get involved in other projects and lectures, to learn, to develop and to take others with him on this exiting journey.
The title of his PhD Thesis reads: "MANAGING IN THE FACE OF DISRUPTION - How do companies manage business model innovation along the process of disruptive innovation?"
The defense due to Covid19 was executed via online zoom platform and streamed on YouTube channel to the public.
Supervisors in the PhD have been
- prof. dr. Peter van der Sijde, Vrjie Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Prof. Dr. habil. Thomas Baaken, FH Münster - University of Applied Sciences, Germany
The reading committee and panel of opponents
|
EST |
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Gerstlberger |
Tallinn University of Technology |
|
PL |
Prof Dr hab Piotr Buła |
UEK University of Economics of Krakow |
|
D |
Prof. Dr. Margit Enke |
TU Technische Universität Freiberg |
|
NL |
Prof. Dr.ir. P.C. de Weerd-Nederhof |
University of Twente |
|
NL |
Prof. Dr.ir. Bart Bossink |
Vrjie Universiteit Amsterdam |
Alexander has chosen a friend Till Handrich and André Perusso from the S2B Team as Para nymphs for the defense.
Dr. Alexander Schmidt was awarded the academic title in a cooperative PhD procedure of the faculty of SBI (Science Business & Innovation) at VU and MSB (Münster School of Business), FH Münster.
Unusually for a PhD candidate Alexander actually spent 50% of his time during the last 4 years working in a company - at Stadtwerke Bielefeld - and 50% in our S2B Research Team. That often meant re-consider everything; constantly defining new priorities and managing the expectations placed on you as a consultant and facilitator of a company's change process and the requirements that come with an academic position and the PhD. He succeeded particularly well in this most challenging balancing act. This double engagement shaped him to not only a n excellent academic but also an amazing manager. Thus he proved the relevance of his thesis in a day to day work.
From 1.2.2021 Dr. Schmidt accepted a call to a lectureship at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht, NL:
Congratulations Dr. Schmidt for your excellent achievement!
