alice schmidt

I’m deeply passionate about creating measurable, positive impact and a sustainable future on a global scale. As a managing director, author, speaker and lecturer I work at the intersection of people, planet, profit & technology around the globe.

With 25+ years of experience working in 30 countries with 100+ organisations (including UN agencies, the European Commission and NGOs as well as large corporates and small (social) enterprises in the mining, pharma and FMCG sectors) I’m able to see the bigger picture. At the same time, I have an eye for detail and always looks for tailor-made solutions that make sense in a given context.

My main role right now is that of Managing Director at Weitblick GmbH, a not-for-profit that focuses on creating an empathic, sustainable society by linking inner change (IDGs/life skills education) with outer change (SDGs).

Academically, in addition to a background in business administration I hold an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.

Learning is my passion and I also love teaching. For example, I have been teaching BA and MBA students at Vienna University of Economics and Business about sustainable business, climate action and management for the future for almost 15 years.

Above all, I care about societal progress and sustainable development that creates opportunities across the social, ecological and economic spheres. I want to help ensure that stakeholders across the globe work together in ways that prioritise social and environmental goals as much as economic objectives.

Writing is a big passion of mine, and I’m proud of my two most recent book collaborations. “The Sustainability Puzzle: How Systems Thinking, Climate Action, Circularity and Social Transformation Can Improve Health, Wealth and Wellbeing for All” which I co-authored with Claudia Winkler talks about the need to zoom out before applying specific sustainability solutions; it highlights many of the experiences that made me who I am today. Our latest book “Fast Forward” discusses risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence for our common future in a range of fields, from education and work to climate action, social sustainability and even the military (check out [http://www.sustainability-puzzle.org](http://www.sustainability-puzzle.org/)).

I have two daugthers who are on their way to becoming strong adults with a healthy in-built gender lens. I’m lucky to have a partner who would not think twice about sharing housework or childcare. In my freetime I love walking, running and virtually anything about nature, besides reading, travelling (to the extent my carbon budget allows) and enjoying art in many of its forms.

For more information check out my website [http://www.aliceschmidt.at](http://www.aliceschmidt.at/), the website of Weitblick GmbH [www.weitblick-gmbh.org](http://www.weitblick-gmbh.org/). or my LinkedIn profile. I look forward to hearing from you.