Being at STURM und DRANG

“Sturm und Drang’s unique and customized approach to each and every new project is so refreshing. I love being part of such a compassionate team of experts that always delivers more than what is expected.”

Claudia Stephens has an international Bachelors Degree in Business. She was born and raised in Germany, has lived and worked in Paris and London and now lives in LA. She spent 15 years in key Marketing positions for Global Health&Beauty companies working on such well-known brands as Chanel, Oil of Olaz, Wella and Sebastian. After leaving the corporate world in 2005, Claudia started consulting for a vast array of beauty companies from start-ups to multi-nationals. In 2009 Claudia joined the STURM und DRANG team. Her well rounded knowledge in Beauty and Professional Hair Care, fashion and luxury goods markets together with her expertise in Global Consumer Insights, Global Trend Research, Innovation Management, and Brand Visions make her a great asset to the team. As Managing Director for North America she is also charged with introducing STURM und DRANG's unique, consumer-centric innovation approach to more US based companies.

"The attempt to combine poetry with Powerpoint."

Specializing in creative processes with a focus on art, fashion and design, Dennis Schroer balances on the fine line between culture and business. After completing his Master in International Management in Maastricht, Milan and Hong Kong, Dennis has been moving seamlessly between trend research and the cultural world, working for institutions such as MoMA, Pinakothek der Moderne and Creative Time, before receiving a Master in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths College in London. Since the very beginning of Sturm und Drang Dennis is a regular contributor on special projects, like Hugo Boss and the development of the NEONauten digital plattform. Dennis lives between Berlin, Hamburg and New York.

"To me, focusing the human with its sense and sensuality does not only reflect the zeitgeist of today – it is truly fascinating, blurring the boundaries of traditionally separated disciplines."

Already during her studies of Communication in Social and Economic Contexts at the Berlin University of Arts, it were the design theories and modern aesthetics that sparked Sonja's fascination. Having been a consultant with the global branding and design agency Interbrand for several years, where she helped clients such as Beiersdorf, Unilever, Symrise or Wrigley develop and implement brand strategies and design, in 2009, Sonja arrived at STURM und DRANG. She develops innovations and brand visions in collaborative processes – always following the idea of Design Thinking. With this, she supports clients to discover and to implement new business opportunities in a tangible way.

"For me, Sturm und Drang is a place where love for detail and the idea of a big picture merge as sense and sensibility. Every time anew it is exciting to perform pattern recognition and extrapolation in the most diverse areas: to illuminate the phenomena of now to project strategies and vision for tomorrow."

Inga Nandzik was always driven by the idea of changing perspectives to be able to get a holistic and coherent picture. Thereby she deemed that opposites attract and even complement each other in creating something bigger and better: like cheese and marmalade, philosophy and math classes, blue dresses and orange sneakers... With studying Applied Cultural Sciences she got the interdisciplinary tools in theory and practice to transfer this principle to professional life. Inga managed to combine art and commerce as coordinator of marketing for the world art exhibition documenta 12 and now reflects culture and consumption in research and development. Here, she can indulge in tying insights and foresights, strategy and design for the sake of great scenario planning and service design. With working for Triumph International lingerie, Procter & Gamble professional hair care, Audi automobiles and Allianz insurances she feels happily engaged in diversity.

"How do people tick? Which adventures and solutions do I find off the beaten path? Sturm und Drang as a unique playground for my curiosity merges interdisciplinary personalities into a strong team. It's a hub of sparkling inspiration, ready to change paradigms. Each approach is people-centric, be it consumers or clients: how can we change their world?"

Having lived abroad already during her studies of business administration, Nicole Menke soon realized that insights and market understanding only come to life with cross-cultural competence. Hence she ventured for Kellogg as Marketing Manager each for several years into Germany, South Africa and France. Furthermore, her experience in brand- and innovation management was expanded in the industry of entertainment (Twentieth Century Fox Hoe Entertainment), outdoor (Coleman) as well as a freelance strategic consultant. The intense work with so many different consumer groups and internal stakeholders helped her develop a fine sense of systemic contexts and psychological processes. Over and above her semiotic work with cultural codes her focus is on open innovation facilitation, innovation management and -processes and portfolio strategy. Neben der semiotischen Arbeit mit Cultural Codes gehören zu ihren Schwerpunkten Open innovation Facilitation, Innovationsmanagement und -prozesse und Portfolio Strategy.

"Sturm und Drang made me appreciate that creativity and strategic thinking are far from being mutually exclusive. When they come together, borders burst, mind and soul are inspired and charged. And I feel fortunate to work with a team that moves mountains."

Ines Richter heads the international innovation and brand development projects at STURM und DRANG. She conducts lead user and expert workshops for insights and vision processes in order to build a prosperous future for global brands. Since over 15 years she has been consulting international brands - both on the industry side Philip Morris GmbH and the Allianz Group and on the agency side. As Brand Consulting Director for the branding agency MetaDesign, she consulted brands such as DHL, Audi and Roche Diagnostics. Ines Richter studied in the USA and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in biochemistry as well as an MBA in Marketing and International Business.

"To design, to develop further, to change, to get to the heart of things, to work with the power of mind - and never to stand still - that is Sturm und Drang for me.“

As one of the original members of staff, Andrea Prantner works as Director of Administration alongside the management board and is in charge of Accounting, Human Resources and Office Management. After completing her training in advertising management at BBDO in Duesseldorf, Andrea Prantner was initially employed by Hamburg agencies before crossing the line to work for the actual companies. After launching a Mexican beer brand in Germany, she was also deeply involved in assisting a publisher in setting up a contemporary art and fashion magazine.

"To me working for Sturm und Drang means to steadily look beyond my own nose, to broaden my horizon, to dig deep and to think outside the box. Simply great.“

Henriette Eva Kiernan is DEBUT editor for Insights and Foresights. She made her first professional experiences in PR and event marketing during her studies of German literature and language. Afterwards she was introduced to the basics of trend and qualitative market research at the Trendbüro. She furtherly engaged into online branding and internet usability. After a living down under for a couple of years, she joined STURM und DRANG in 2007. She is most passionate about topics evolving around health, nutrition, sustainability, social responsibility, family and spirituality.

"Comprehension, Inspiration, Challenge and Freedom."

Johanna Oehlmann is driven by the comprehension of social change as well as intercultural social settings. She studied law in Heidelberg and Cologne as well as Economics and Cultural Studies in Friedrichshafen and Barcelona. Here a methodological focus on qualitative social and organisational research evolved. The interdisciplinary training of mediation taught her creative techniques but especially the way of finding needs-oriented solutions to social conflicts. Her practical experiences in the fashion industry, the area of social entrepreneurship and co-working are framed by international settings and fast moving social trends.

"To me, working at STURM und DRANG means to explore new markets within an interdisciplinary team and international network. That means to search and find fresh and inspired humans in different cultures to think and develop new and different perspectives."

Anne Barbara Schubring finished her apprenticeship in advertising management and graduated as sociologist and economist before she joined STURM und DRANG. She coordinates the internal and external resources of all global research projects. Her mission is to insure the methodological background as well as to integrate field services and the STURM und DRANG Network into the project workflow. Fascinated by the work and the dialogue with humans from different markets and cultures she is driven to extend and develop the STURM und DRANG Network including partners, suppliers, freelancers, experts and lead users as well as the internal quality management.

"Working at STURM und DRANG means thinking outside the box. The challenge for the consumer strategist is to find unexpected answers to the questions of our clients. In order to achieve this we dive directly into the living environment of the target groups. We observe, listen and ask questions. The results we bring back from these trips help our clients to gain a new perspective and leverage new opportunities.“

Nicolas Loose explores consumer behavior and relevant innovation fields for the clients of STURM und DRANG and develops advanced digital insight tools in order to pilot brands skilfully in the complex mental and emotional universe of consumers. He studied communications and strategic planning as well as social sciences in Berlin and Valencia. After graduating as a communications manager he expanded his proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative market research for five years, most recently as a study supervisor. In 2005, he was awarded as the junior researcher of the year (BVM).

"Working at STURM und DRANG means to me being inspired anew. By challenging projects, clients from most diverse industries and a creative team of unconventional thinkers.“

Dorothea Stanjek studied psychology and business in Marburg and Mannheim. She specialized in market and consumer psychology as well as brand images. As a freelancer at the Spiegel Institut Mannheim, she engaged in market and usability research. In 2009, she decided to take a closer look behind the scenes of consumer culture and therefore moved to Hamburg to join STURM und DRANG. Dorothea devotes herself to qualitative insight research – focusing on FMCG, food, beauty, and media. As a real digital native she also conducts exciting online projects with the lead user community dieNEONauten.de.