Susann Schronen
"Host Europe is a very progressive company that wants to positively accompany digitisation, and that sounds to me like a good partner for the future."
Susann Schronen - Berlin School of Creative Leadership
Creativity plays an important role in the value chain of the economy. Even in times of digitalisation, not everything that keeps companies running is made up of ones and zeros. First and foremost, it is people who are able to run businesses and respond creatively to challenges. However, there is still a lack of creative people in the management levels of the creative industries. Susann Schronen recognised this deficit back in the early 2000s as managing director of the Art Directors Club Germany and, together with other top creative minds from the industry association, helped to initiate the founding of a training school that would train tomorrow's managers, creatively and above all open to change, to lead creative companies.
The result of these considerations is the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, which has existed in Berlin since 2006 and awards a state-approved Executive MBA in Creative Leadership. The school teaches students how to adapt flexibly to the changes in work and leadership brought about by digitalisation and how to manage them situatively. Because what is the right way today can be solved better in the next moment with another method. Susann Schronen sees the future of education in the digital. Online learning will enable lessons with fewer attendance phases and thus give more people access to education. For Susann Schronen, Host Europe is therefore a strategic partner for the future and not just a hosting service.
The result of these considerations is the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, which has existed in Berlin since 2006 and awards a state-approved Executive MBA in Creative Leadership. The school teaches students how to adapt flexibly to the changes in work and leadership brought about by digitalisation and how to manage them situatively. Because what is the right way today can be solved better in the next moment with another method. Susann Schronen sees the future of education in the digital. Online learning will enable lessons with fewer attendance phases and thus give more people access to education. For Susann Schronen, Host Europe is therefore a strategic partner for the future and not just a hosting service.
Where is this interview actually taking place?
We are here at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, an international business school founded in 2006 whose goal is to train top creative professionals to become top executives. We want every company in the creative industries to have a creative manager at some point in the future. In our opinion, this is precisely what is lacking in business enterprises worldwide. The school I lead as Managing Director teaches this and awards an Executive MBA in Creative Leadership.
What challenges do you still face after ten years?
They are the same challenges as all business leaders experience. On the one hand, you have to make sure every day that you bring an excellent product to the market and that you are worth your money. You have to convince more and more people to buy your product. And then of course you have to have the appropriate resources to create this high-quality product. So starting with outstanding teachers and great employees who conceive, organize, supervise and manage the brand. Education is a motivating product, because you always have the feeling that you are doing something.
Does digitisation play a role in your curriculum?
Thematically, it is extremely important for us, because change processes play a major role in most companies. In principle, these changes are all related to digitisation. And it is sometimes very difficult to get your employees on this new path and throw old habits overboard. Digitisation as such is therefore also at the centre of our management theory. All the problems our students have result more or less from these upheavals.
How digital are you as a school already?
As far as we ourselves are concerned, we have a lot of catching up to do and are on the way to digitalising ourselves. As a private educational institution, we do not receive any subsidies for this and must generate the resources for such initiatives ourselves. We have some catching up to do in the areas of online learning and an online campus. That is why we have chosen Host Europe, and I hope that a partnership can emerge. Host Europe is a very progressive company that wants to positively accompany digitisation, and that sounds to me like a good partner for the future.
We are here at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, an international business school founded in 2006 whose goal is to train top creative professionals to become top executives. We want every company in the creative industries to have a creative manager at some point in the future. In our opinion, this is precisely what is lacking in business enterprises worldwide. The school I lead as Managing Director teaches this and awards an Executive MBA in Creative Leadership.
What challenges do you still face after ten years?
They are the same challenges as all business leaders experience. On the one hand, you have to make sure every day that you bring an excellent product to the market and that you are worth your money. You have to convince more and more people to buy your product. And then of course you have to have the appropriate resources to create this high-quality product. So starting with outstanding teachers and great employees who conceive, organize, supervise and manage the brand. Education is a motivating product, because you always have the feeling that you are doing something.
Does digitisation play a role in your curriculum?
Thematically, it is extremely important for us, because change processes play a major role in most companies. In principle, these changes are all related to digitisation. And it is sometimes very difficult to get your employees on this new path and throw old habits overboard. Digitisation as such is therefore also at the centre of our management theory. All the problems our students have result more or less from these upheavals.
How digital are you as a school already?
As far as we ourselves are concerned, we have a lot of catching up to do and are on the way to digitalising ourselves. As a private educational institution, we do not receive any subsidies for this and must generate the resources for such initiatives ourselves. We have some catching up to do in the areas of online learning and an online campus. That is why we have chosen Host Europe, and I hope that a partnership can emerge. Host Europe is a very progressive company that wants to positively accompany digitisation, and that sounds to me like a good partner for the future.
"For me, a hosting service is similar to electricity from a wall socket. This just has to work."
What is your relationship with Host Europe so far?
This is basically very young, even very small in volume. I am convinced that we are a mini customer for Host Europe, but with growth potential. And for this growth, which we are striving for in this area, it is naturally important for us to work with a partner from the outset who we feel is a strong partner, a reliable partner and also an innovative partner. For me, a hosting service is similar to electricity from a wall socket. It just has to work.
How important is digital for education in the future?
I think that digital learning is the future. The lessons at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership are already designed in such a way that we do not hang on fixed rooms, because with our courses we travel around the world once. In the future, the attendance phases may be further reduced and online courses offered to larger groups. This is also an enormously important strategic issue for us, because we could offer more students an affordable education.
This is basically very young, even very small in volume. I am convinced that we are a mini customer for Host Europe, but with growth potential. And for this growth, which we are striving for in this area, it is naturally important for us to work with a partner from the outset who we feel is a strong partner, a reliable partner and also an innovative partner. For me, a hosting service is similar to electricity from a wall socket. It just has to work.
How important is digital for education in the future?
I think that digital learning is the future. The lessons at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership are already designed in such a way that we do not hang on fixed rooms, because with our courses we travel around the world once. In the future, the attendance phases may be further reduced and online courses offered to larger groups. This is also an enormously important strategic issue for us, because we could offer more students an affordable education.
