Our Mentors

Let's make HR smart and simple. Growth works best when people topics such as recruitment, onboarding, roles and day to day collaboration are addressed early, with structure and pragmatism. Stephan Bütje supports founder teams and growing organisations as a mentor and sparring partner, helping them build HR as a practical lever for growth. Since 2020, he has been active in the startup ecosystem as a mentor and lecturer, focusing on people culture and scalable HR foundations from the ground up. He combines this perspective with more than 20 years of HR experience across transformation, organisational development and HR technology projects. Key advisory topics for GIE students include role clarity and accountability, people and culture setup, recruitment processes and onboarding, as well as a lightweight HR operating model as a solid basis for scaling.

Business economist, Business Academy/Dual University SH Top management experience in medium-sized companies, focus on marketing/sales, strategy, communication, business development, branding Independent consultant for > 20 years, strategy, focus on business concepts, business development, marketing and sales processes, organisational development, branding Training/qualification as a personal trainer modified focus: strategy companion (for medium-sized businesses and start-ups - use the best of both worlds!), strengthen systemic sustainability (ecological, economic, social), promote the common cause, brand development inside out

As a native of Flensburg with international experience, my work brings together entrepreneurship, psychology, and many years of leadership practice. With more than 20 years of experience as an executive and entrepreneur, I now work as a guide for organizations, leaders, and teams, supporting them in topics such as strategy, communication, collaboration, and health management. A particular focus of my work lies in leadership development and in strengthening effective employee and organizational leadership. As a mentor within the study program, I enjoy sharing my practical experience with you – including some of the more “wild” learning curves along the way. My goal is to support you in sharpening your ideas, reflecting on decisions, and further developing your projects in a structured and meaningful way.

As the founder and managing director of AS Guidance and AS Diagnostics in Flensburg, I combine psychology, leadership experience, and organizational development. After serving as an officer in the German Air Force, I worked as a teacher at vocational schools specializing in social pedagogy and business studies. My academic background in education sciences and psychology is complemented by qualifications in business coaching as well as health and training sciences. Today, I support companies, leaders, and teams in matters related to communication, leadership, and corporate health management, also working with psycho-physiological diagnostics. As a mentor, I am happy to support you with questions related to leadership, self-management, stress competence, and communication, as well as navigating responsibility in complex work environments. Open and, above all, honest dialogue on equal footing is important to me, and I look forward to accompanying you on your journey.

As the CIO of DF Automotive GmbH and a member of the executive management team , I draw on over 20 years of experience at the intersection of technology, market, and organization. My background combines roles in international corporations such as the Deutsche Post DHL Group , various consulting and interim mandates (including OTTO, SGS, and Digital Hub Cologne) , and my own experience as a startup founder and winner of the netSTART Award. In the GIE program, I support students in translating technological innovations into scalable business models and bridging the gap between engineering and business. I am happy to advise GIE students on the following topics: Digital Transformation and AI, Entrepreneurship and Product Development, IT Strategy and Project Management, Organizational Development and Leadership.