He is one of the few advisors to whom heads of government and board chairs truly listen. Elected “Global Innovation Expert No. 1” by 2,000 economic
experts from the United States and Europe, the strategist is among the world’s leading futurists. The three most recent books by the SPIEGEL bestselling author focus on artificial intelligence (2026), the economy (2025), and democracy (2024).
Professor Bernd Thomsen is a Strategic Future Economist. He supports selected governments and companies in leveraging fundamental shifts in
the economy and society as opportunities through innovative strategies, disruptive business models, and portfolio-shaping transactions. He entertains and convinces audiences
worldwide as a keynote speaker on selected stages, teaches transformation at leading universities in Asia and Europe, has selected highly gifted scholars for German Federal Presidents
since Richard von Weizsäcker, serves on the Handelsblatt Expert Council, and has been a committed philanthropist for decades, leading
several non-profit foundations he established. Professor Thomsen lives in Hamburg, Miami, and Como.
We – “Thomies,” as clients affectionately call us – share a more personal glimpse of our CEO here:
“Ben,” as Professor Thomsen is often known, particularly in the United States and India, loves open-minded people. And blue skies, especially in
Miami, where the youngest two of his four children were born. He enjoys traveling and collects espresso cups from around the world. International metropolises fascinate
him, such as New York City, where he runs in Central Park, as well as Hamburg, where he runs along the Alster. Whenever he is in the city, he prefers the early hours of Mondays
and Wednesdays for his runs.
Since 1999, Bernd has led a foundation supporting abused children and has backed employee-initiated projects such as Reach Out Cameroon in Africa. He is also deeply engaged in fostering highly gifted individuals. When described as a philanthropist,
he points to “people who do much more for others.” Together with his young daughter, he became well-known as the author of the Handelsblatt Future Column, regularly offering perspectives on sustainable growth dynamics. She was only three years old when he began answering her probing questions in
the business and financial newspaper.
As a published author, he writes about topics like Social Credit Rating: scoring systems he situates within a transformative triad of
political, economic, and digital systems. His 2026 publication focuses on artificial intelligence in medicine.
In 2025, his book Quality Economy was published, which he published as a lead editor alongside three
others and significantly shaped. The work brings together contributions and interviews from leading personalities. According to Handelsblatt, Ben is regarded as the intellectual originator and founder of the Quality Economy.
A year prior, he published Let’s Save Democracy, the result of five years of research in 39 countries –
becoming a SPIEGEL bestseller within days of publication. For him, a qualitative economy and liberal democracy are inseparably linked as
the foundation for the future of nature, humanity, and the well-being of coming generations – or, as he says with a smile, “for the happiness of our children.” The non-profit
foundation Hall of Future, initiated by Ben, is also committed to the Quality Economy. Companies represented by its members employ nearly
two million people in more than 150 countries and and account for around one trillion euros in annual revenue.
The scientist Thomsen, who dispenses entirely with “theory talk,” teaches as a Professor of Transformation at universities in Asia and Europe. He
shares his knowledge through keynotes, publications, and social media (the best way to stay up to date is to follow him on LinkedIn).
In our group, which continues to be an insider tip among international management consultancies with his placet, he only personally accompanies
selected mandates. On the occasion of our 40th anniversary, he commissioned a New York market research institute to ask clients worldwide, across four decades: What do you associate
with us in a single sentence? Many of us expected a single word: Future. The result was: “Rising Numbers in Rougher Waters.” No copywriter
could have phrased it more precisely. The result made him so proud that the sentence was immediately added to our website. Ben is a detail-driven perfectionist, at times demanding,
yet a standard every colleague recognizes as essential, while always keeping the strategic big picture in view.
He developed a definition of growth for our group that prioritizes qualitative growth over purely quantitative metrics. He illustrates this with a
simple principle: he wants to make a difference and does not want to work for disrespectful people with ethically challenging character – and does not want us to have to either. When
people refer to our “Cultural and Integrity Due Diligence (CIDD)”– an instrument through which clients qualify for collaboration based on integrity and cultural fit – he meets the
occasional nickname “No Asshole Policy” with a smile. Culture matters more to him than short-term revenue. When he returns from his travels to one of our offices, he shares
detailed stories of extraordinary Michelin-starred restaurants and unpretentious currywurst stands, as well as new perspectives he has encountered. The best part: his eyes still
sparkle like those of a child.
Over recent decades, Ben has anticipated global economic developments, societal changes, and emerging industries that are now reality. Together
with our teams, he has developed more than 300 successful innovations and numerous products used in everyday life. According to our CEO, the key is to ask the questions that hardly
anyone else asks. Wherever the name THOMSEN GROUP appears, there is always a part of Bernd Thomsen.
Professor Bernd Thomsen
Strategic Future Economist, Author, and Philanthropist.
