Sammanfattningsvis: Lite information om mig, mina publikationer och föreläsningar

My professional career has always unfolded at the highly dynamic intersection of the digital economy and computer science. Relevant university degrees, decades of leadership experience, a strong willingness to learn, and an outstanding team form the essential foundation of my lasting impact.

At almost every stage of my career, technological evolutions and revolutions have shaken up their respective industries and triggered changes that never came to an end. Such external effects are a fascinating lever: they cannot be played down or overlooked; rather, they demand that issues be addressed — even under conditions of uncertainty.

I am currently focused on the responsible development of data-driven business and efficiency models, as well as on the further development of organizations facing intense pressure for change. Artificial and natural intelligence, data, rigorous customer centricity, bold new business development, and markets that already exemplify many exciting themes are my most important parameters in this work. Because the skills required for this are becoming increasingly specialized, I consider interdisciplinary thinking and action indispensable. Transformation succeeds when strategic clarity, technological understanding, practical experience of change, and reflection come together — and when one understands that one serves organizations as an enabler, rather than acting as the sole guardian of knowledge. Such a leadership culture must be lived with sincerity, not used as a fig leaf.

I have held senior leadership positions, including C-level roles in the media, software, and mobility industries, and have been Group Chief Digital Officer at ADAC for almost ten years. I am also a member of international deep-tech juries, hold teaching appointments, and contribute to specialist books. More information about me is available on LinkedIn or XING.

Outside work, I am interested in science, the restoration of espresso machines, pedal steel guitar, vinyl records, coding experiments, David Lynch, Swedish Lapland and Iceland, the MAD magazine shaped by Herbert Feuerstein’s magic, and literature.

I occasionally publish: chapters, academic papers, and newspaper pieces. I also appear on stage, but only by invitation

  • „Digitalisierung in großen Unternehmen: Zwischen Silodenken und Disruption“, in: Preuschoff, Bernd, „Praxis-Guide für Digital Leader II: Wie Profis Transformation erfolgreich gelingt“, Hanser Verlag, 2025

  • „Einsatz von generativer KI in der Unternehmenskommunikation“, in: Hillmann, Mirco, „Das 1×1 der Unternehmenskommunikation: Ein Wegweiser für die Praxis“, Springer Gabler, 2025

  • “Preisstrategien für Online-Musik”, in: “Der Wandel des Wertschöpfungsnetzwerkes in der Musikwirtschaft”, herausgegeben von Gerhard Gensch, Eva Maria Stöckler und Peter Tschmuck, Gabler Edition Wissenschaft, 2019

  • “Das Preisgefüge im digitalen Musikvertrieb – eine ökonomische Analyse”, in: Rodriguez, von Rothkirch und Heinz, “Handbuch der digitalen Musikwirtschaft”, Nomos, 2008

  • “Digitales Rechtemanagement – eine strategisch-technologische Perspektive”, in: Rodriguez, von Rothkirch und Heinz, “Handbuch der digitalen Musikwirtschaft”, Nomos, 2008

  • “Strategische Zukunftsoptionen der medialen Verwertung der Wiener Staatsoper”, Studie im Auftrag der Wiener Staatsoper, Krems/München, 2009 (mit Gerhard Gensch)

  • „Der Flatrate-Bias in der digitalen Musikdistribution – Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung“, in: Tagungsband 9. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik, Wien, 2009 (mit Manuel Etzel und Peter Buxmann)

  • „Der Einfluss von Digital Rights Management auf die Zahlungsbereitschaften für Online-Musik – Untersuchung auf Basis einer Conjointanalyse“, in: Zeitschrift für Medienwirtschaft, 2008 (mit Jochen Strube und Peter Buxmann)

  • “Cooperative Pricing in Digital Value Chains – The Case of Online Music”, in: Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Vol. 8, Issue 1, Feb 2007 (mit Jochen Strube und Peter Buxmann)

  • “Abonnementmodelle für Onlinemusik – Ein Simulationsprototyp für die Entscheidungsunterstützung bei Anbietern und Labels“, in: ZMW-Zeitschrift für Medienwirtschaft, 2006 (mit Jochen Strube, Amke Block und Peter Buxmann)

  • “Strategies for Digital Music Markets: Pricing and the Effectiveness of Measures against Pirate Copies – Results of an Empirical Study”, in: Proceedings of 13th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Regensburg, May 2005 (mit Jochen Strube, Patrick Johnscher und Peter Buxmann)

  • “Strategien für den digitalen Musikmarkt: Preissetzung und Effektivität von Maßnahmen gegen Raubkopien”, in: Wirtschaftsinformatik 47, 1/2005 (mit Jochen Strube, Patrick Johnscher und Peter Buxmann)

  • “Musik online: Herausforderungen und Strategien für die Musikindustrie”, in: Das Wirtschaftsstudium (wisu), 04/2004 (mit Peter Buxmann)

  • „When Intelligence Becomes a General-Purpose Capability: Rethinking Technology, Institutions, and Economic Power in the Generative Age“

  • „The Generative Turn in the Digital Economy: How AI Is Redefining Creation, Coordination, and the Meaning of Productivity“

  • „Deep Tech and the Future of Human Leverage: Why the Most Important Transformation Is Not Technical, but Organisational and Economic“

  • „From Digitalisation to Synthetic Intelligence: How a New Class of Technologies Is Rewriting the Boundaries of Work and Value“

  • „The Next Operating Model of Business: What Happens When AI Becomes Infrastructure Rather Than Just Another Technology Layer“

  • „Deep Tech and the New Rules of Competitive Advantage: Why Strategy, Talent, and Technology Must Now Be Designed Together“

  • „The New Architecture of Change: Managing Transformation When Technology Evolves Faster Than Organisations Can Adapt“

  • „What the Most Future-Ready Companies Are Doing Differently: AI, Deep Tech, and the Leadership Challenge of Radical Change“

  • „Deep Tech Does Not Ask for Permission: How to Lead When Technology Begins to Outpace Structure, Governance, and Consensus“

  • „The Future of Competitive Advantage Will Be Cognitive: What Happens When Intelligence Becomes Embedded in Every Process“

Book Chapters

„Digitalisierung in großen Unternehmen: Zwischen Silodenken und Disruption“, in: Preuschoff, Bernd, „Praxis-Guide für Digital Leader II: Wie Profis Transformation erfolgreich gelingt“, Hanser Verlag, 2025

„Einsatz von generativer KI in der Unternehmenskommunikation“, in: Hillmann, Mirco, „Das 1×1 der Unternehmenskommunikation: Ein Wegweiser für die Praxis“, Springer Gabler, 2025

“Preisstrategien für Online-Musik”, in: “Der Wandel des Wertschöpfungsnetzwerkes in der Musikwirtschaft”, herausgegeben von Gerhard Gensch, Eva Maria Stöckler und Peter Tschmuck, Gabler Edition Wissenschaft, 2019

“Das Preisgefüge im digitalen Musikvertrieb – eine ökonomische Analyse”, in: Rodriguez, von Rothkirch und Heinz, “Handbuch der digitalen Musikwirtschaft”, Nomos, 2008

“Digitales Rechtemanagement – eine strategisch-technologische Perspektive”, in: Rodriguez, von Rothkirch und Heinz, “Handbuch der digitalen Musikwirtschaft”, Nomos, 2008

“Strategische Zukunftsoptionen der medialen Verwertung der Wiener Staatsoper”, Studie im Auftrag der Wiener Staatsoper, Krems/München, 2009 (mit Gerhard Gensch)

„Der Flatrate-Bias in der digitalen Musikdistribution – Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung“, in: Tagungsband 9. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik, Wien, 2009 (mit Manuel Etzel und Peter Buxmann)

„Der Einfluss von Digital Rights Management auf die Zahlungsbereitschaften für Online-Musik – Untersuchung auf Basis einer Conjointanalyse“, in: Zeitschrift für Medienwirtschaft, 2008 (mit Jochen Strube und Peter Buxmann)

“Cooperative Pricing in Digital Value Chains – The Case of Online Music”, in: Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Vol. 8, Issue 1, Feb 2007 (mit Jochen Strube und Peter Buxmann)

“Abonnementmodelle für Onlinemusik – Ein Simulationsprototyp für die Entscheidungsunterstützung bei Anbietern und Labels“, in: ZMW-Zeitschrift für Medienwirtschaft, 2006 (mit Jochen Strube, Amke Block und Peter Buxmann)

“Strategies for Digital Music Markets: Pricing and the Effectiveness of Measures against Pirate Copies – Results of an Empirical Study”, in: Proceedings of 13th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Regensburg, May 2005 (mit Jochen Strube, Patrick Johnscher und Peter Buxmann)

“Strategien für den digitalen Musikmarkt: Preissetzung und Effektivität von Maßnahmen gegen Raubkopien”, in: Wirtschaftsinformatik 47, 1/2005 (mit Jochen Strube, Patrick Johnscher und Peter Buxmann)

“Musik online: Herausforderungen und Strategien für die Musikindustrie”, in: Das Wirtschaftsstudium (wisu), 04/2004 (mit Peter Buxmann)

„When Intelligence Becomes a General-Purpose Capability: Rethinking Technology, Institutions, and Economic Power in the Generative Age“

„The Generative Turn in the Digital Economy: How AI Is Redefining Creation, Coordination, and the Meaning of Productivity“

„Deep Tech and the Future of Human Leverage: Why the Most Important Transformation Is Not Technical, but Organisational and Economic“

„From Digitalisation to Synthetic Intelligence: How a New Class of Technologies Is Rewriting the Boundaries of Work and Value“

„The Next Operating Model of Business: What Happens When AI Becomes Infrastructure Rather Than Just Another Technology Layer“

„Deep Tech and the New Rules of Competitive Advantage: Why Strategy, Talent, and Technology Must Now Be Designed Together“

„The New Architecture of Change: Managing Transformation When Technology Evolves Faster Than Organisations Can Adapt“

„What the Most Future-Ready Companies Are Doing Differently: AI, Deep Tech, and the Leadership Challenge of Radical Change“

„Deep Tech Does Not Ask for Permission: How to Lead When Technology Begins to Outpace Structure, Governance, and Consensus“

„The Future of Competitive Advantage Will Be Cognitive: What Happens When Intelligence Becomes Embedded in Every Process“

A few AI reading tips that I naturally read myself. Or rather, had summarized by an AI

Every now and then, but only when it truly matters, I share a collection of the documents that are actually defining the technical future of AI. For the mathematically inclined, the beauty of this field lies in its formalisms and the elegant ways they are explained in blogs like Calculus on Computational Graphs. I recommend a rigorous study of The Matrix Calculus You Need For Deep Learning to grasp the core vectors, followed by the definitive Information Theory, Inference, and Learning Algorithms.

For those who want to understand the limits of learning, The Elements of Statistical Learning and Mathematics for Machine Learning offer profound insights. The mathematical convergence of these networks is elegantly described in the Neural Tangent Kernel: Convergence and Generalization in Neural Networks and Grokking: Generalization Beyond Overfitting on Small Algorithmic Datasets.

Architectural landmarks like Attention Is All You Need and the Deep Learning textbook provide the framework for our understanding of Language Models are Few-Shot Learners. To bridge the gap to actual implementation, the interactive Dive into Deep Learning and Neural Networks and Deep Learning are excellent guides. Optimization remains a cornerstone, led by Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization and the recent FlashAttention: Fast and Memory-Efficient Exact Attention. For a deep dive into how Transformers „think“ spatially and logically, The Illustrated Transformer and the Distill essay Attention and Augmented Recurrent Neural Networks are visual masterpieces that every engineer should bookmark.

Looking ahead, the most critical work lies in understanding the internal representations and safety boundaries of our creations. A Mathematical Framework for Transformer Circuits and Toy Models of Superposition have begun to peel back the layers of neural logic, explaining how features are stored in high dimensions. As we observe Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models and follow the Scaling Laws for Neural Language Models, we must remain technically vigilant. The path toward a secure future is paved with the research in The Alignment Problem, Constitutional AI: Harmlessness from AI Feedback, and the sobering technical critiques found in On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots. To understand the human element, I highly suggest Visualizing Representations, a landmark post in technical communication.