Prof. Dr. Martin J. Eppler is one of the most sought-after experts on the subject of communication management. He teaches managers how to get the most out of visual presentations, data presentations and meetings. This involves creative topics such as design thinking, life design, business model innovation and team creativity. With the publication of more than 20 books and over 300 scientific articles, he is a respected author, researcher and consultant in the field of communication, creativity and business management. His outstanding achievements have already been recognized with numerous awards.
Interview with Martin J. Eppler:
1. What are the core subjects of your keynote speeches?
My focus lies on one hand on communication topics in a professional context and how to convey complex messages clearly, persuasively, and entertainingly, such as corporate strategies or change initiatives. In this context, both data storytelling and communication between experts and decision-makers, such as engineers and managers, are my core topics. On the other hand, I focus on creativity topics such as design thinking, life design, business model innovation, and team creativity.
2. Which audience or which branch do you reach with your speech?
I am fortunate enough to be able to work with a wide variety of groups of people, but most often, my audiences are managers or specialists. That can range from top management teams to engineers, from entrepreneurs to auditors or from project leaders to.
3. Are you a PREMIUM SPEAKER? Where do you get your insights from?
I just love sharing knowledge and enabling a-ha moments for people. My insights come mainly from research but they are enriched by experience as a global consultant and advisor. Plus, I have insights from my entrepreneurial activities and from a few ventures as well as in the leadership team of a university. Frankly a lot of insights also come through conversations, feedbacks, and rich dialogues with colleagues. Lastly, visual introspection also mattes to me when it comes to cultivating insights.
4. What will be in the future? Does «time» play an important role in your work?
The future will certainly bring a lot of hybrid intelligence and hybrid creativity that we need to adapt to. Or in other words: How do we use artificial intelligence in a way that truly enriches our lives and our work?
Time plays a central role for me, especially in knowledge work: where do I accelerate and move quickly in a project, and where do I pause, revise, or dive deeper? Where do I make changes swiftly, and where is consistency important? This balancing act, this fine-tuning, is not always easy for me or my team.
5. Tell us your life motto? What do you want to give your listeners to take with them?
I would say George Bernard Shaw nailed it:
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
I believe it’s crucial to cultivate a playful growth mind where you stay curious, take small risks, go out of your comfort zone and try radically new things.