Olaf Plötner

Olaf Plötner is a professor at ESMT. He joined ESMT as one of the first faculty members and managing director of ESMT Customized Solutions GmbH in 2002. From 2011 to 2017, he was the dean of executive education at ESMT and developed the school to a top-ten institution in this field, based on the global ranking of Financial Times. Since January 2019 he is also director of Bringing Technology to Market (BTM) Center at the ESMT and, over the years, has received numerous teaching excellence awards.

Olaf’s research and teaching focuses on strategic management in global B2B markets. His work is e.g. reflected in his book Counter Strategies in Global Markets, published by Palgrave Macmillan, Springer, and SDX Shanghai. His research has been portrayed in journals such as Industrial Marketing Management and Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing as well as in leading international media such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal Europe, the Times of India, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, China Daily Europe, People’s Daily (China) and the Financial Times.

Olaf is a visiting professor at Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Before joining ESMT, he also worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in Frankfurt and as a director at Siemens AG in Boston (US).

Education

• Participant Centered Learning, Program for Faculty Members, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA, 2006.
• Extension School Program in International Marketing, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA, 1998.
• Dr. rer. pol., (Magna cum laude), Free University, Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 1994.
• Dipl.-Kfm., Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany, 1989.

Past employment

• International Distinguished Professor (visiting Professor), China Business Executives Academy Dalian (CBEAD), Dalian, China, 2021–February 2023.
• Visiting Professor, Chinese Executive Leadership Academy Pudong CELAP, Shanghai, China, 2017–2020.
• Adjunct Professor, Antai College of Economics and Management, Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, 2014–2017.
• Dean of Executive Education, April 2011–December 2017.
• Associate Dean of Executive Education, January 2010–March 2011.
• Managing Director, ESMT Customized Solutions, Berlin, Germany, November 2002–December 2014.
• Faculty Professional, October 2002–September 2012.
• Guest lecturer, Managerial Accounting, Freie Universität Berlin, 2000-2010.
• Managing Director, Institute of Management and Technology IMT Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 1999–October 2002.
• Head of Business Development, Customer Care and Billing, Siemens Business Services, Siemens AG, 1999.
• Director, Liaison Office Siemens Telecommunication Networks, Siemens AG, Boston, MA, USA, 1997–1999.
• Communications Manager, Public Networks, Siemens AG, 1996–1997.
• Consultant, The Boston Consulting Group, 1995–1996.
• Research Associate, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 1989–1994.

Honors and awards

• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence (Received), Strategic International Management, MIM 2020- 22, MIM program, ESMT Berlin, Germany, 2022.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Strategies of Industrial Champions in Global Markets, EMBA 2020-22, ESMT Berlin, 2022.
• Winner of a Best Paper Award (Track: B2B Marketing, Supply Chain Management and Sales Management), AMA Summer Academic Conference 2021, American Marketing Association.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Marketing Management, MIM Class of 2019–21, ESMT Berlin, 2021.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Strategies of Industrial Champions in Global Markets, EMBA Class 2019-21, ESMT Berlin, 2021.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Global Industrial Strategie, MBA Class of 2020, ESMT Berlin, 2021.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Strategies of Industrial Champions in Global Markets, EMBA 2018-20, ESMT Berlin, 2021.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Strategic International Management, MIM Class of 2017-19, ESMT Berlin, 2019.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2018, ESMT Berlin, 2018.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2017, ESMT Berlin, 2017.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2016, ESMT Berlin, 2016.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2015, European School of Management and Technology, 2015.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2014, European School of Management and Technology, 2014.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2013, European School of Management and Technology, 2013.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, EMBA Class 2011-13, European School of Management and Technology, 2013.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, EMBA Class 2010–12, European School of Management and Technology, 2012.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2010, European School of Management and Technology, 2011.
• President's Honor Roll for Teaching Excellence, Bringing Technology to Market, MBA Class of 2010, European School of Management and Technology, 2010.

Publications

Peer reviewed journal articles

• Cardy, C., N. Chaker, J. Habel, M. Klarmann, and O. Plötner (2023). Customer - salesperson price negotiations during exceptional demand contractions. Journal of Service Research 26 (3): 351–370.
• Habel, J., V. Jarotschkin, B. Schmitz, A. Eggert, and O. Plötner (2020). Industrial buying during the coronavirus pandemic: A cross-cultural study. Industrial Marketing Management 88: 195–205.
• Dannenbaum, J., LM. Edinger-Schons, M. Rese, O. Plötner and J. Wieseke (2020). What Does it Take to Successfully Implement a Hybrid Offering Strategy? A Contingency Perspective. Journal of Service Management Research 4(2-3): 100-120.
• Bidault, F., M. Lüth, and O. Plötner (2011). A framework for monitoring relational quality in B2B technology partnerships. Business Management Review 1 (1): 34–43.
• Plötner, O., and M. Kupp (2010). High-tech for low-frills markets: New challenges for German high tech companies. Innovative Marketing 6 (2): 77–81.
• Plötner, O. (2008). The development of consulting in goods-based companies. Industrial Marketing Management 37 (3): 329–338.
• Plötner, O. (2006). ESCRA. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing 21 (3): 189–194.
• Plötner, O., and M. Ehret (2006). From relationships to partnerships: New forms of cooperation between buyer and seller. Industrial Marketing Management 35 (1): 4–9.
• Plötner, O. (2004). NEGBI: Introducing new systems in the telecom market. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing 19 (5): 344–350.

Books

• Plötner, O., B. Schmitz, and J. Habel (2023). Solid growth. Strategies of industrial champions in global markets. Singapore: World Scientific.
• Plötner, O., J. Habel and B. Schmitz, (2020). The essence of business strategy. Developing a robust planning framework. BTM Center Solid Growth Series 1.
• Plötner, O., J. Habel and B. Schmitz, (2020). Advanced premium products. Understanding the success formula of hidden champions. BTM Center Solid Growth Series 2.
• Plötner, O., J. Habel and B. Schmitz, (2020). No-frills products. Achieving profitability in low-price segments. BTM Center Solid Growth Series 3.
• Plötner, O., J. Habel and B. Schmitz, (2020). Complex service solutions. Bringing digital offerings to industrial markets. BTM Center Solid Growth Series 4.
• Plötner, O., J. Habel and B. Schmitz, (2020). The bigger picture. Managing different businesses within a single company. BTM Center Solid Growth Series 5.
• Plötner, O. (2012). Counter Strategies im globalen Wettbewerb. Berlin: Springer Gabler.
• Plötner, O. (2011). Counter strategies in global markets. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Plötner, O., B. Sieben, T.-F. Kummer, X. Wang, and W. Shi (2011). 应用成本效益分析-理论、方法和习题. Shanghai: Shanghai University of Finance and Economics Press.
• Plötner, O., B. Sieben, and T.-F. Kummer (2010). Kosten- und Erlösrechnung. 2 ed. Berlin: Springer.
• Plötner, O., and R. Spekman (Eds.) (2007). Bringing technology to market: Trends, cases, solutions. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.
• Plötner, O. (Ed.) (1995). Das Vertrauen des Kunden: Relevanz, Aufbau und Steuerung auf industriellen Märkten. Wiesbaden: Gabler.