Dr. Kerstin Schulenburg

Nationality: German

Languages: German and English

Areas of expertise

• - Regional Development and SME (Subject Matter Expert) Promotion
• - Cluster & Networks Development
• - Facilitation of Large Group Dialogs
• - Facilitation of OD-Processes

Corporate and Management Experience

Kerstin's work is based on an unique combination of experience as practitioner, researcher and consultant. As a research fellow, she accompanied the transition process of Eastern Germany to market economy. As a practitioner she was in a large German bank responsible for credit decisions directed at SMEs. Since 1998, Kerstin consults regional development institutions in Germany and in developing countries. She may provide professional advice as an economist at the onset or during her engagement; however, her primary focus is on enabling sustainability through stakeholder commitment and involvement. She is experienced in the facilitation of the dialog between stakeholders in diverse cultural settings and the application of large-scale collaborative change techniques.

Academic Qualifications

• - MBA International Management Consultancy
• - PhD International Agricultural Development

Training

• - Workshops in Large Group Conference techniques: Appreciative Inquiry, Future Search
• - Systemic Consulting Methodologies, Facilitation and Conflict Management, Human Resource Techniques, Project Management

Consulting Approach

The main focus of Kerstin's work is sustainability: What happens after the consultants' work and public funding has ended? Sustainability has two preconditions:

• 1 Regional development strategy should be linked to competitive advantages of a given region. This is because sustainable economic success of enterprises is based on competitive advantages.
• 2 Strategies and action plans must be developed and implemented by the diverse stakeholders. The individual motives of stakeholders and the participative development of shared vision and mission is the fuel of future implementation.

Depending on the initial situation in a given region, Kerstin facilitates a broad set of dialog-oriented and analytical methodologies. Her personal mission is oriented around developing resources and the strengthening of resources at every level the system.

Articles and Publications

Regional Development and Promotion of Stakeholder Networks

• - Schulenburg, K. (2007): Conclusions for Promotion of Wood Workers' Cluster in Brong Ahafo Region Based on Selected Results of Market Analysis. On behalf of GTZ and DGIS, Accra, Ghana.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2006): Promotion of Cluster in the Context of LRED and of Sustainable Industrialization Zones in Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana. Fact Finding Mission on behalf of GTZ and DGIS, Accra, Ghana.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2006): Promoting Business Linkages. Overview and Tool. On behalf of the Pilot Project "Innovative Approaches to Private Sector Development" of the GTZ. GTZ, Eschborn.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2006): SME Promotion within Development Aid of the New EU Member States - Current Practice and Future Trends -. Commissioned by BMZ on behalf of Donor Committee for Enterprise Development, Bonn, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2005): Best Practices in the Development of Alumni Networks as Conceptual Frame for the FHTW Alumni Network and Services. FHTW, Berlin.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2004): Rapid Appraisal SME Situation - Guide Implementation Consultancy Product. GTZ, Eschborn, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2004): SME policy - Outline of Consultancy Product. GTZ, Eschborn, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2004) New Developments in SME Promotion. Expert Report. GTZ, Eschborn, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2002): Vernetzen ohne sich zu verheddern - Netzwerkprofile und Qualitätsstandards. Stiftung SPI, Berlin, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. und Frommann, R. (1999): Wirtschaftsorientiertes Standortentwicklungskonzept für den Bezirk Marzahn als integrierter Bestandteil der Wirtschaftsregion Ost. Studie im Auftrag der Abteilung Wirtschaft und Finanzen, Bezirk Marzahn von Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. (1994): Landwirtschaftliche Unternehmensentwicklung im Transformationsprozess. - Fallbeispiel einer Obst- und Gemüseanbauregion in den neuen Bundesländern. Dissertation, Berlin, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K.(1993): Structural changes in agriculture in the transition from a planned to a market economy - case study of a fruit- and vegetable-growing region in the former GDR. Speech at the 27th EAAE seminar 18 - 20 March 1992 in Nitra, Czechoslovakia. in: European Association of Agricultural Economists (publisher), eastern european agriculture: problems, goals and perspectives, Nitra, Czechoslovakia.

Credit Management

• - Schulenburg, K. (2003): Rating als Führungsinstrument im Mittelstand nutzen. in: Achleitner, A.-C, Everling, O. (Hrsg.): Handbuch Rating Advisory: Mit professioneller Beratung zum Bonitätsurteil, Gabler Verlag in Zusammenarbeit mit der Financial Times Deutschland.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2002): The Rating Process and Management Consulting for Medium-sized Enterprises: An Empirical Analysis of Requirements and Interrelating Factors. MBA-Dissertation, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2002): Externes und bankinternes Rating im Vergleich. in: Kredit & Rating Praxis, Heft 5.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2002): Ratingkriterien als Führungsinstrument nutzen: Was tun bei problematischen Bilanzzahlen? in: Berliner Merkur. Magazin für Wirtschaft in Berlin und Brandenburg, Heft 9, S. 24 - 25.
• - Schulenburg, K. (2002): Nutzen Sie Ratingkriterien als Führungsinstrument! in: Berlin-Brandenburgisches Handwerk, Heft 6, S. 11- 13.