Sven A. Beiker

Teaching Statement

Dr. Sven Beiker believes in utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to learning and decision making. He is motivated to bring academia and industry together in a class environment and for research initiatives toward the future of individual mobility. Dr. Beiker is a Lecturer teaching S574, "Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond", with Professor Robert A. Burgelman, Edmund W. Littlefield Professor of Management at the Graduate School of Business.

Bio

Sven Beiker is a Lecturer in Management at the GSB, and the Managing Director of Silicon Valley Mobility, an independent consulting & advisory firm. He covers the electrification, automation, connectivity, and sharing of automobiles through the lens of new technologies and business models. This is reflected in his teaching at the GSB as well as in his professional engagements. Prior to his independent consulting work, he served as an Expert Consultant for mobility topics at McKinsey & Company for 2.5 years.

Dr. Beiker is also the former Executive Director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford, an industry affiliates program that he launched in 2008 together with Stanford Professors Gerdes, Nass, and Thrun. Before coming to Stanford, Dr. Beiker worked at the  BMW  Group for more than 13 years. Between 1995 and 2008 he pursued responsibilities in technology scouting, innovation management, systems design, and series development. He primarily applied his expertise to chassis and powertrain projects, which also provided him with profound insights into the industry’s processes and best practices. In addition, he worked in three major automotive and technology locations: Germany, Silicon Valley, and Detroit.

Dr. Beiker received his MS (1995) and PhD (1999) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University in Braunschweig, Germany. He published various technical papers and holds several patents in the fields of vehicle dynamics and powertrain technology.

Academic Degrees

• PhD, Technische Universität Braunschweig (Germany), 1999
• MS, Technische Universität Braunschweig (Germany), 1995

Academic Appointments

• At Stanford University since 2008
• Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2011-present
• Lecturer, Stanford School of Engineering, 2008-present

Professional Experience

• Project Manager, BMW Hybrid Technology Corp., Troy, MI, 2006-2008
• Senior Engineer, BMW Technology Office, Palo Alto, CA, 2003-2006
• Innovation Manager, BMW Group, Munich, Germany, 2000-2003
• Simulation Engineer, BMW Group, Munich, Germany, 1998-1999

Awards and Honors

• Arch T. Colwell Merit Award, SAE International, 2006

Teaching

Degree Courses

2018-19

STRAMGT 574: Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond (II)

This six-session 2-point Bass seminar will involve students (maximum 24) in analyzing the emerging global electric automotive industry by focusing on: (1) The electric automotive industry in the U.S. and Europe, (2) the electric automotive...

2017-18

STRAMGT 574: Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond (II)

This six-session 2-point Bass seminar will involve students (maximum 24) in analyzing the emerging global electric automotive industry by focusing on: (1) The electric automotive industry in the U.S. and Europe, (2) the electric automotive...

2016-17

STRAMGT 574: Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond (II)

This six-session 2-point Bass seminar will involve students (maximum 24) in analyzing the emerging global electric automotive industry by focusing on: (1) The electric automotive industry in the U.S. and Europe, (2) the electric automotive...