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projects by Dr. Arndt Pechstein

AUdi future class

Audi Future Class

Client

AUDI AG 

year 

2017, 2018 and 2019

scope 

Design Thinking & Agile Certification Program

Description

The AUDI Future Class is a four-module training and certification program for team leads and managers to experience, learn and implement agile approaches like Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Kanban and Scrum in their organizational context. At the same time, participants work on concrete innovation case study and drive their implementation at AUDI. The AUDI Future Class is directly supported and patronized by two members of the board. Run three times over a time span of half a year each, we have certified more than 40 ‘AUDIans’, built up a change and alumni network with an engagement rate of >70% and empowered coaches to lead the agile transformation of a major section of the corporation.

 

“Vorsprung durch Technik“ is Audi’s motto. Living by these words means approaching rapid change proactively and asking questions like “how do you prepare a worldwide corporation for the challenges of its shifting industry?” As we say farewell to combustion engines which currently sustain the quality of life enjoyed by our generation, and those of the past, one of the most successful stories of German engineering, Audi, needs to reinvent itself while securing more than 80,000 employees’ jobs around the globe. The biggest challenge in Audi’s history still lies ahead. That’s why we equipped Audi’s out-of-the-box thinkers with new innovation methods, mindsets and approaches, so they could help the company adapt to the environmental and sociological challenges of the future, thus ensuring the company’s prolonged success and significance. Our Future Class training program brought together team leaders and management from all over the company and coached them to become pioneers and change agents that carry a new way of thinking into their departments. They can be ambassadors for a new way of thinking, add new voices to a long-established company culture, build on tradition, but also know when the time is right to challenge it.

 

We started off by using our Exponential Readiness Check, a human-centered evaluation tool which enables individuals and companies to assess their skills and identify what they are lacking. Based on comprehensive academic and field research, we have identified the 20 most relevant skillsets, frameworks and values needed to adapt to an exponentially changing world. Our Future Class participants mapped out their current strengths, as well as areas that still needed improvement. Based on these results we offered four tailor-made modules to address these weaknesses, and bring out the potential in our participants.

 

Our in-depth approach meant that we trained and mentored our Future Class participants for half a year, using a tailored combination of Design Thinking, Exponential Thinking and other agile tools and methods in order to create the challenges given to the teams. We communicated closely with our partners at AUDI and listened to what they saw as their greatest hurdles, in this way, our workshops were not only an introduction to innovation, but also created applicable and pilotable solutions which will become the essence of long-lasting, viable change.

approaches used

Agile Transformation, Design Thinking, Exponential Organizations, Business Model generation, Coaching

Audi urban future initiative

Client

AUDI AG | in collaboration with Schindler and Studio Schwitalla

year 

2014

scope 

Innovation Project & Future Vision for Urban Mobility of the 21st Century 

Description

With 21st century mobility reaching its spatial and ecological limits, we have to revisit the relation of mobility and urban space on a systematic scale. As the 20th century has been the era of urbanization, mobility and digitalization, the 21th century is about the symbiotic fusion of these components.

The major goal of our proposal was to renegotiate the relationship between mobility and the urban space on three levels (vehicle, infrastructure and use) and to ignite a paradigm shift in four domains:

  • Boundaries between mobility and immobility are disappearing

  • Reality and virtuality are merging 

  • Individuality and collectivity are not mutually exclusive 

  • Sustainability and progress are not contradictory

We developed: ”Destination Collective” which proposes a long-term (~2035) vision for Berlin as well a local short-term test track “Flyway” (~2017) that showcases all aspects of the envisioned future concept including individual destination control algorithms, autonomous driving, and collective mobility that can be experienced by the users.

approaches used

Biomimicry, Design Thinking, Future Scenarios, Exponential Technologies

media

Blog, Audi Future SlamArchdaily Wired, GreenBizTagesspiegel

AUFA

driversity

Driversity

Client

Deutsche Bahn AG | partners GLS BankNTT Data, DGFP, HS Heilbronn

year 

2017 - ongoing

scope 

Initiating & Curating an Open-Innovation Platform to Develop Future Mobility Solutions for Enterprises

Description

driversity is a cross-company open innovation platform aimed at reinventing employee mobility to make it more flexible, sustainable and multimodal. Initiated in 2017, it quickly grew into a vibrant community of more than 150 active participants from more than 100 companies including DB's large key accounts to small innovative startups, research institutions, political bodies and NGOs.

The driversity network is based on collaborative design sprints to create pilots and initiatives that are implemented and scaled in organizations. As such the network blends new work approaches with purpose-driven innovation and future mobility solutions. By doing so it also increases employer branding for the implementing organizations, reduces their CO2 footprint and increases general job satisfaction and effectiveness.

 

approaches used

Design Sprints, Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Business Model Generation, Moderation

media

driversity.de | Mehr Park statt parken (GLS Bank)

IKIAM

IKIAM

Client

Ecuador Ministry Coordinator of Knowledge and Human Talent (MCCTH)

year 

2015-2016

scope 

Setting up the IKIAM Innovation Campus (IKIAM = Universidad Regional Amazónica)

Description

The IKIAM Innovation Campus is an educational concept that engages (young) people to learn sustainable entrepreneurship, connect science with creative innovation, work as responsible entrepreneurs, and be active and caring members of their society. The main objective is to connect education and research with inclusion of and value creation for local communities and the preservation and use as a learning source of the Amazon rain forest. The concept allows students to parallel their studies in bio-sciences with a leading-edge education in knowledge transfer, entrepreneurial thinking as well as creativity and innovation skills - all integrated into an innovative curriculum.

 

The concept deploys the educational philosophy, methodology and practices of Biomimicry, Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship to drive life- and human-centered, purpose-driven innovation. The concept is executed as a joint activity between multiple stakeholders of the local society and operationally lead by the IKIAM university and funded by the ministry. Stakeholders include local communities, the public, NGOs, local companies, individual experts, governmental agencies and think tanks.  All of these stakeholders engage in the program by providing creative input or services, co-creating solutions, contributing expertise and driving implementation.

 

Specifically, the project involved the conception of an inclusive, cross-disciplinary and innovative campus curriculum, the training and empowerment of coaches, faculty and a first cohort of students as well as establishing an abundance and innovation mindset on the IKIAM campus and local communities.

approaches used

Design Thinking, Biomimicry, Entrepreneurship

media

IKIAM university | Vision & Mission

Merck curiosity initiative

Merck

Client

Merck | in collaboration with fischerAppelt

(Merck is known as Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the United States & Canada)

year 

2016 - ongoing

scope 

Global #catchcurious campaign for Merck

B2B Influencer & Curiosity Ambassador 

Description

The core objective is to strengthen Merck’s reputation as a vibrant science and technology company among customers, innovation partners, and potential employees. Breakthrough begin with curiosity. As B2B influencer, I support and amplify digital advertising campaigns by infecting relevant audiences with the #catchcurious message before directing them to the Curiosity Hub, the online home to all campaign activities and content.

The strategic goal is focused on the creation of traffic and earned media for a discovery-driven platform to really stir the curiosity of visitors. Reaffirming this insight, the multi award-winning Curiosity Hub transformed the findings of Merck’s curiosity report into a series of vibrant experiences, digital interactions, and exciting editorial content. The platform induces curiosity via interactions, communication, and visuals which raise questions, incite inquisitiveness, and whet the appetite of science and technology professionals.

“If science is so exciting, why must it look so dull?”

approaches used

B2B influencer, storytelling, Vision creation

media

Biomimicry, Systems Design & Networks | Collaborate or Die | The Future of Work: From Digital Transformation to Cultural Transition | How to make corporate transformation a success

PwC Sri Lanka

Pwc academy

sri lanka

Client

PwC Academy Sri Lanka

year 

2019-ongoing

scope 

C-Level Executive Trainings & Transformation Projects for Sri Lanka’s leading companies

Workshops & trainings

The workshop was excellent. By far the best workshop I have been to. I really enjoyed the structure of the content and Dr. Arndt Pechstein was great in presenting it. Good mix of practical work theories and exercises. Best part of the program was the practicality, I clearly see things what can I implement back at work place I learned out of the workshop without much of an effort.

Suresh Sujan – Director BFSI Solution & Special Projects – ZILLIONe Holdings

Arndt regularly hosts workshops and trainings for leaders and executives of Sri Lanka’s largest companies to empower them future-proof their businesses. Topics include Design Thinkin and Innovation, Agile Transition, Exponential Organizations and Leadership Approaches for Resilience and Peak-Performance. These Colombo-based sessions are open workshops which build on diversity, cross-sector learning and peer-based implementation.

Webinars

Great feedback and great insights from Dr. Arndt Pechstein as always. Stay tuned as we are creating some interesting virtual workshops.

Nuwan Dishan, Practice Head PwC's Academy, Head of Marketing & Communications PwC Sri Lanka

Arndt provides webinars for PwC key accounts on cutting-edge topics including Leadership Heuristics, Leading through Crisis Successfully and Resilience Strategies to 10x their adaptation and innovation capabilities in light of black swan events.

transformation projects

Wow. This session opens up your mind to think about the work you do, differently, in a way to be futuristic and survive.

Randinith Madanayake | Brand Manager Premium Category @ Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC 

Arndt leads innovation and transformation projects for leading organizations in Sri Lanka. They aim at improving customer centricity, establishing an agile company culture and incorporating resilience and abundance thinking into the organizations.

approaches used

Agile, Exponential Organizations, Systems Thinking, Neuroscience of Leadership

media

Innovation and Agile Training | Webinars

tedx danubia

Client

TEDx Danubia, Budapest

year 

2017

scope 

TEDx Talk, Keynote

Description

Hybrid Thinking: a change framework for the age of abundance

Hybrid Thinking is an innovation and transformation approach connecting humans, technology and purpose-driven innovation with business agility and organizational effectiveness. Hybrid Thinking combines cutting-edge approaches with a sound scientific basis to drive behavioral and organizational change. It starts with a transformative purpose, empowers people to unfold their full potential, builds effective and high-performant teams, and establishes organizations that are innovative, adaptive and create value and true impact.

Hybrid Thinking combines and leverages the tools and frameworks of Biomimicry, Design Thinking, Agile and Exponential Organizations and connects them with the foundations and dynamics of Neuroscience, Systems Thinking and Complex Adaptive Systems. It aims at building a circular economy that is profitable, just and value-creating.

approaches used

Hybrid Thinking

media

Blog 

TEDx Danubia

Bayer

Coming soon ...

Bayer

COnsors bank

Coming soon ...

Consors
Hammer Brooklyn

Hammer

brooklyn

Coming soon ...

inform

Coming soon ...

Inform

Rheinland

Versicherungsgruppe

Coming soon ...

Rheinland
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