Sven Kunisch – Associate Professor

After 10 years of living in Switzerland, Sven Kunisch needed a change in scenary, so he exchanged the Swiss alps for the flat Danish fields in Herning. Read more about why Sven Kunisch chose to come to Denmark, and what he will be working with at BTECH as an associate professor.

Why did you choose to work at Department of Business Development and Technology?

There are several reasons: First, I considered the position of an associate professor at BTECH to be a good opportunity to take the next step in my academic career. I completed my PhD studies in management in 2013, and since then I have been a postdoc and Habilitand. As an associate professor, I will face new challenges and tasks. For example, I also want to work more with PhD students.

Second, I think that BTECH is a very inspiring entrepreneurial environment at the intersection of business and engineering. I am originally trained in business informatics at the intersection of business and technology. Since 2007, I have almost exclusively held positions at business schools. A “real” university environment will certainly help broaden my (academic) mind and hopefully stimulate some cross-disciplinary research ideas. 

Third, I also thought that assuming the position at BTECH would push me a bit out of my comfort zone and expose me to a new environment in a new country. In fact, I have worked and lived in Switzerland for approx. 10 years. I am thus looking forward to many new experiences.   

What is your field of work, and what will you be working with here?

My research interests center on a variety of strategic management topics with a particular focus on corporate management. These include topics such as the corporate headquarters, headquarters-subsidiary relationships, strategy implementation, strategic change and CEO successions. 

Recently, I have become more interested in questions concerning whether and how digitalisation and automation of skilled labour affects strategic management, firm boundaries and firm-level strategy. Specifically, I am interested in exploring how firms develop digital resources and capabilities. For example, I want to explore when and why firms appoint Chief Digital Officers. In the years to come at BTECH, I want to focus more attention on these issues. 

What is your educational background?

I hold a diploma in Business Informatics, which is a degree at the intersection of Business Administration and Computer Science. I received a Ph.D. in Management with the predicate “with the highest distinction” from the University of St. Gallen in 2013, and submitted my post-doctoral thesis (habilitation) in May 2018. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your family and what you do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I like to do and watch sports. For example, I like hiking and I play soccer, tennis, table tennis and squash. I am a big soccer fan. I support Hansa Rostock, the local team in the region where I grew up. I also support Bayern Munich.