CURRENT POSITIONS

Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland

2022- Program Director. Directing the “Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems” DRRS program with a learning system comprising a Massive Open Online Course series and a professional degree program Master of Advanced Studies (CAS/MAS) in Regenerative Systems. https://regenerativesystems.ethz.ch

2018- Senior Research Scientist in Resilience of Social-Ecological (Mountain) Systems. Group leader of “Systemic Design Labs“. Hosted by the Institute for Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems. Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. ETHZ.

The Oslo School of Architecture and Design AHO, Norway

2019- Associate Professor for Systemic Design and Innovation for Sustainability. Institute for Design / Center for Design Research. Oslo, Norway.

The MonViso Institute

2015- Co-founding director. The MonViso Institute, a real-world mountain laboratory for research, education and entrepreneurship in sustainability transitions and regenerative design, situated in Ostana, Piedmont Alps, Italy.

Grown

2008- Co-Founder and systemic designer. Grown, Outdoor Creativity Lab. Regenerative design inspired by outdoor creativity. Essential outdoor tools, local adventures, co-creation community, science-industry partnerships. Zurich CH and Ostana IT.

PAST ACADEMIC POSITIONS

University of Freiburg, Germany

2005-2022 Visiting Professor. Interdisciplinary course “Sustainability Leadership Training”. Centre for Key Qualifications.

Politecnico Torino, Italy

2020 Visiting Professor for Systemic Regenerative Design. Department of Architecture and Design.

Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland

2016-2018 Visiting Professor. Engineering Design and Computing Laboratory. BSc/MSc courses “Integrative Ski Building Workshop” and “Systemic Design for Sustainability”. Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering.

Università della Svizzera Italiana USI, Lugano, Switzerland

2016-2019 Visiting Professor. Institute for Economic Research. MSc courses “Resilience of Mountain Economies” and “Landscape Architecture”.

University of Grison/ FH Graubünden, Chur, Switzerland

Department “Living Environment” (Regional Economic Development, Architecture, Tourism).

2011-2018 Full Professor for Sustainability Science.

2012-2015 Director. Research Institute for Tourism and Leisure.

2009-2011 Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer in sustainability science.

Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France

2008-2009 Postdoctoral Researcher, Institut de la Montagne. Interreg project “ClimAlpTour”.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & CAREER

2015- Co-founding director. The MonViso Institute, a real-world mountain laboratory for research, education and entrepreneurship in sustainability transitions and regenerative design, situated in the Italian Piedmont Alps.

2008- Co-Founder and systemic designer. Grown, Outdoor Creativity Lab. Regenerative design inspired by outdoor creativity. Essential outdoor tools, local adventures, co-creation community, science-industry partnerships.

2003-2008 Director of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Manager of the German Ski Federation (DSV), Munich, Germany.

2003 Trainee in Sustainable Investment Research, Renewable Energies Invest. Private Bank Sarasin, Basel, Switzerland.

2002 Business consultant in the wood product industry. Applikatio Consultancy, Freiburg, Germany.

2001-2010 Systemic Co-Design of the Swall Institute, a sustainably designed work&play retreat in the high desert of California, owned by TED senior fellow Eric L. Berlow.

2000 Trainee in circular/blue economy at UNDP/ZERI (Zero Emissions Research Initiatives) Geneva, International Environment House and EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

1998-  Mountain Guide and Sports Teacher (leading mountaineering and expedition trips worldwide)

ACADEMIC EDUCATION

2005-2009 Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, Institute for Outdoor Sports and Environmental Sciences, German Sport University DSHS Cologne, Germany. Advisors Prof. Dr. R. Roth and Prof. Dr. em. H. Elsasser (University of Zurich, Economic Geography). Dissertation (18.02.2009): Vulnerability to climate change and sustainable adaptation of Alpine tourism.

2002-2005 M. A. in Education and Communication on Sustainable Development, University of Rostock, Germany. Thesis: Sustainability Leadership Training: Development and Evaluation of a University teaching concept on sustainable development.

1999-2001 M. Sc. in Forest- and Environmental Sciences, Major Environmental Economics, specializing in life cycle design and the built environment, and in wood engineering. University of Freiburg, Germany. Thesis: Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of engineered timber products for the use in passive solar buildings (German Diplom).

1997-1999 B. Sc. in Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Germany (German Vordiplom).

EXCHANGES & SCHOLARSHIPS

2011 Visiting scholar at the Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

2010 EU Marie Curie scholarship in Sustainability Evaluation in a Transboundary Context. Stockholm Environment Institute.

2007 Fellow of the 8th OIKOS PhD summer academy “Sustainability, Innovation, Entrepreneurship”, University of St. Gallen, CH.

2001-02 Scholarship of the University of California at San Diego, California, USA, in sustainable architecture and design. White Mountain Research Station, Bishop, CA, and Swall Institute.

1999 ERASMUS scholarship exchange program with the Universidad de Cordoba, Spain.

1996-97 Scholarship of the University of British Columbia (UBC) MKRF, Vancouver, Canada.

AWARDS

2019 & 2021 Innovation awards by Italian conservation organization Legambiente for my systemic innovation work with the real-world lab MonViso Institute in the Italian Piedmont. 2019 for sustainability innovation and communication. 2021 for eco and social digital innovation with local experiential solutions and global digital outreach.

2017 International journalism award by the Piedmont Region for my work in sustainability communication: Premio internazionale di giornalismo “Gaetano Scardocchia” by La Stampa.

2008 & 2018 Three Eco and Sport Design Awards of ISPO Munich, the biggest industry fair for winter and outdoor sports, for innovative design of basalt (2008) and hemp (2018) fiber composite ski constructions; up to 50% decrease of env. footprint & positive legacy.