Dr. Claudia Nicolai studied Business Administration, Economics, and Social Sciences at the University of Hannover. She got her Ph.D. in intercultural marketing at the University of Potsdam and worked as a senior researcher at the chair of strategic marketing of the University of Witten/Herdecke. Since then, questions concerning consumer trends, strategic innovation, and business design have been the focus of her scientific work.

Providing expertise on consumer-centered innovation processes and strategic change she also worked as a consultant for different companies of the consumer goods and service industry. Besides being a visiting professor for strategic communication at the University of Arts Berlin and at the Elisava - School of Design and Engineering in Barcelona/Spain, she has been teaching at the School of Design Thinking at Hasso-Plattner-Institute in Potsdam for the last four years.

In March 2010 Dr. Nicolai became General Program Manager of the D-School in Potsdam. In this context she is in charge of the one year program in Design Thinking, develops and designs teaching contents, and coaches students and teachers. She is also responsible for co-operations with project partners and academic institutions.

In addition, by hosting numerous workshops and developing Design Thinking strategies for companies Dr. Claudia Nicolai encourages executives and business leaders to experience and apply Design Thinking and loves to see how it is spreading into the corporate and academic world.