Bio

I was born in the year 1945 in Göttingen, Germany, and studied sociology and economics at the Frankfurt University. After finishing my studies I worked as a teacher for German, economics and accounting. In 1979 I began to work in Peru. In Lima I worked first as an assistant for the CEO of a multinational company which produces civil explosives and welding equipment; afterwards I was assigned the post of CEO of a sister company.

In 1986 I changed my field of activities and started to work for the international development co-operation. My emphasis lies on SME and export promotion, competitivity, regional commercial coordination, quality management systems, marketing, standards and normalisation, E-Commerce and Information Technology. Working with Peruvian enterprises I got to know the garment sector, agricultural products (especially fruits and vegetables), fish and shellfish, furniture and handicraft. In a EU-funded project in Argentina I trained technical institutions (INTI) and respective SME in the following sector: Minerals, wood and furniture, dairy products, honey, software and microelectronics. In PACPYMES, another EU-funded project in Uruguay, my responsabilities were cluster promotion, local and regional economic development, SME training and export promotion. In the Dominican Republic I participated in the updating of her National Development Plan (PNCS), international competitivity, business climate, logistics and product quality.

I had assignments as project director, administrator, and team leader in Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Bulgaria. I organised, among other activities, participation in more than 60 fairs, commercial missions, enterprise visits in Europe, North and South America and Asia.

Principal donor organisations were the European Commission and the German Co-operation (GTZ Eschborn; German Ministry of Cooperation).