ABOUT MATTHIAS
Why I built Aspireon
Twenty-five years in consulting. Eight as a Big 4 Partner in Data & AI. And before all of that: a cellist who learned that you don't lead by volume, but by listening.
The foundation - before consulting
Chamber music taught me everything about leadership
Before consulting, I was a cellist. At 19, my piano trio won Germany's national Jugend musiziert competition performing Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in D minor.
Chamber music is leadership training. You learn when to lead the phrase and when to support. You learn to listen so intently you can feel the breath before your colleague begins to play.
You make split-second decisions about tempo and dynamics without words: just presence and trust.
Those disciplines stayed with me. Sitting with a CEO navigating AI transformation, I'm doing exactly the same thing: listening intently, creating space, knowing when to challenge and when to support.
THE PATTERN
Technology was never the problem
Twenty-five years. Four consulting firms. Projects from strategy to execution, document automation to AI- driven platforms, across every industry.
The pattern was always the same: projects failed because of people, not technology. Leadership gaps. Change management failures. User adoption challenges.
This insight shaped my recent work: the thought leadership papers I co-authored, the practitioner forums, the signature 'Show me Impact' conference with Microsoft in May 2025.
The turning point
In March 2023, I attended IMD's High Performance Leadership course with Professor George Kohlrieser, focused on Secure Base Leadership and the Care to Dare framework.
This approach to leadership and coaching struck a chord in me.
In September 2025, I enrolled in IMD's Executive Coaching Certificate Programme led by Professor Susan Goldsworthy and aligned with ICF standards.
That's why I founded Aspireon.
What makes Aspireon different
Performance discipline. Transformation expertise. Coaching rigour.
Three things rarely combine in one person:
Performance discipline from training to become a professional cellist. Strategic depth from 25 years in technology transformation, including 8 years as a PwC Partner in Data & AI. Coaching methodology from IMD Business School.
Leaders navigating AI transformation need both strategic counsel on decisions and development of their judgment capacity. Aspireon provides both.
Executive Coaching for individual leaders and teams navigating AI transformation, whether by choice or necessity. Coaching grounded in transformation complexity, delivered by someone who's led the programmes you're now responsible for.
Leadership Advisory for boards and executive teams on AI governance and strategy. Particularly Swiss boards navigating Article 716a requirements and the courage-caution tension: moving fast enough to fulfil duty of care without being reckless. Pragmatic guidance from someone who's been in the room where these decisions get made.
Both services work independently or together. The difference is whether leaders need someone developing their leadership (coaching) or advising on strategic decisions (advisory) or both.
