Whether as an information technology consultant, a trainer, a project manager or a divemaster, my focus is on potential and possibilities. My most important goal as an adviser is to play an enabling role - not just parachute in and handle a critical situation, but to encourage and enable people to learn to prevent and even solve these situations on their own.

I see information technology much like I see bicycles: as tools to increase our abilities. Properly understood and implemented, IT can be a valuable tool to increase our productivity, effectiveness and interdependence. But despite the increasing range of electronic communication devices I believe that face to face communication still is and will continue to be of utmost importance in our world.

In addition to learning how to use the tools of the information age, I find it essential to understand which tools are best employed for which jobs - and be ever-vigilant to see that those tools serve us and facilitate our work rather than the other way around.

After almost a decade of working on information technology projects in Germany I moved to Vietnam in 1999. My biggest challenge there was to face the opportunities and obstacles of implementing IT in a developing country and to combine this in a meaningful way with the skills and work experience gained in the western world. Since January 2004 I'm back in Germany meeting new challenges and opportunities.

My goal is to stay current, accessible and human in this fast race through the information age.