About me
– Guiding Thought –
„It is not change itself that is remarkable today, but the relentless speed at which it occurs.“
I partner with executives and leadership teams to drive high-impact transformation across business, technology, and human dynamics – grounded in decades of international leadership experience.
The colours and geometry of my logo reflect the core pillars of my approach: strategic clarity, pragmatic execution, and human-centricity as the catalyst for lasting change.
AI and technological shifts redefine traditional leadership and sales. To generate real, measurable value, digitalisation must move beyond the hype. As an executive sparring partner, I help you cut through the noise – blending extensive leadership practice with scholarly rigor.
I bridge digital shift and value creation with the people who make strategic change happen.
years of expertise at the customer interface
years of international leadership experience
years of business and leadership coaching
– DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? –
Traditional leadership and sales patterns are rapidly losing traction as AI and technological shifts reshape the market. Even with a clear strategy, translating vision into daily operations often triggers friction, silos, and internal resistance. To generate real, measurable value, the challenge is to move beyond the hype. As an executive sparring partner, I help you cut through the noise….—grounded in proven leadership practice and academic depth.
What If…
strategies moved from the boardroom into team behaviours without friction?
leadership generated momentum and clarity instead of friction in times of disruption?
digital transformation directly strengthened your internal and external customer equity?
HOW I SUPPORT YOU:
Strategic clarity and technological innovation drive my work. Built on a strong track record of executive experience leading international teams across Western Europe and EMEA – complemented by strategic insights from New York and Silicon Valley – I understand transformation from the inside out.
My focus is aligning C-Suite strategy with front-line execution. Combining business leadership with a background in philosophy, I help leadership teams align digital processes and human dynamics seamlessly to deliver lasting impact.
– Numbers – Data – Facts –
2019 – Present
Expert in Corporate Culture, Sales & Strategic Leadership | Author & Speaker | Executive & Business Coach
2008 - 2018
Sales Director and International Executive in sales DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland)/ EMEA for network-based visualisation in enterprise & entertainment – advanced training in management skills
2001 - 2008
Key Account Manager Software, IT and Services in a medium-sized company – further training as a Business Coach
1992 - 2001
Sales Manager and Branch Manager in renowned medical technology companies – Additional training in international sales and pharmaceutical sales representative
Prior to 2001
Holds a Master’s degree (M.A.) in Philosophy from the University of Cologne and worked in IT, marketing, and public relations
Further details about my professional career can be found here:
Looking for Executive Sparring & SPRINT Programmes?
Interested in my book: PURCHASING IS THE NEW SELLING?
Ready to explore the Value Creation Architecture Board?
Beyond the Strategy: Personal Insights
3 words that describe me
…Authentic, analytical, execution-driven.
What matters most to me
….Creating progress that benefits both business performance and society.
My passion
…Turning strategy into lasting reality
In my personal time I love
…Sweeping sea-views, open-top driving, the endless horizon, and inspiring conversations with great minds.
How I recharge
…Being outdoors in nature – whether on long walks, skiing in the mountains, practicing yoga, or working out.
A little quirk
…Wearing shorts whenever I’m off duty.
Customer testimonials
The satisfaction of my customers is very important to me.
Here you can find some client testimonials:
"I have known Birgit for a long time and have worked together with her on many projects. Through her I have learnt how much fun it can be to sell successfully and how best to gain the trust of customers."
Francesco Cavaliere
Televic Conference, Business Development Manager
"Birgit manages to grasp even complex contexts extraordinarily quickly and to the point and then implements these insights in projects in a goal-oriented manner. She always manages to build mutual trust. She is a good listener, asks the right questions and understands exactly what is important. She stands for success and very concrete results."
Dr.-Ing. Franz-Otto Vogel
Co-author of the book “CIM and Logistics in the Enterprise”
SEP moderator and lecturer at the University of Stuttgart
"Birgit is a proven sales expert with great expertise. I particularly value her know-how, her positive attitude and her mental strength. She knows exactly what she is talking about, and she is someone you can rely on. For this reason, we have always achieved the best results when we work together. I really enjoy working with her."
Yoav Nir
Co-founder Magicor, Managing Director
Author of the book: “Game-changing Innovation”
"What we need today is a perfect combination of knowledge about innovation and digitalisation, the new challenges for sales and the right feeling for change. Sales works differently today, with new technologies, the right insights, and sensitivity for the new path on the customer journey. Birgit is an expert in exactly this field. She brings her clients into the new sales age."
Dr. Renée Moore
International Businesswoman
Speaker of the Year 2020 in the category “Sales”
"I know Birgit very well from her coaching and online training. For me, it was always a great pleasure to work with her. She imparts interesting, practical knowledge as well as completely new experiences. I can say that together we have found new ways for both my professional as well as my private life. I was always very satisfied when working together with her.
Clara Maria Sels
Businesswoman and owner of Galerie Clara Maria Sels
"I took part in Birgit's live online training over several days and was really excited about it. I enjoyed it MEGA and, even though I have been a successful insurance salesperson for a long time, I learned a lot of new things. I got a lot of invaluable TIPS and information that is very important for me. I can only warmly recommend Birgit's online training to everyone. Ideally suited for beginners and of course for "old hands" in sales.“
Karin Wegner, until 2020, Insurance Officer, VR-Bank Taufkirchen-Dorfen eG,
Participant Online Training Work 4.0, Berlitz Languages, Inc
"I have experienced Birgit Schulze-Berktold in consulting. I am convinced that every client benefits from her expertise. A consultant who brings measurable development to a task. Great!"
Ingo Christ, Managing Director and Entrepreneur Vertriebswerkstatt Zukunft (brainjack GmbH)
"Great charisma, very likeable, respectable, competent and very well prepared - very convincing through it all!" "The topic was very well presented! Good communication of contents and background knowledge." "Good, perfect time allocation. Many practical examples!"
Testimonials from workshop participants
“The Customer Success training course with Birgit Schulze-Berktold and Ingo Christ was very informative and practice-oriented. The content was conveyed clearly and comprehensibly. The interactive exercises and our use case, where we were able to apply what we had learned directly, were particularly helpful. The course gave me valuable insights into effective customer care and retention. Overall, a highly recommended training course. Many thanks!”
S.D., Kuppinger Cole