Michaela Bauer
Foundation and Project Manager
Michaela Bauer has been working for the Max Planck Foundation 2009-2014 and again since 2018.
Michaela studied music education at the Franz Liszt School of Music in Weimar.
Thomas van Bremen
Chief Investment Officer
Thomas van Bremen has been working in the asset management of the Max Planck Foundation since 2018.
Thomas completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster and his master’s degree in finance & management at the University of St. Andrews.
Shelley Elliott
Team Assistant
Shelley Elliott joined the Max Planck Foundation in 2021.
She completed her training in life assurance and worked in South Africa as an account administrator and broker consultant in various areas of the insurance industry until her move to Germany in 1999.
Most recently, she worked as a customer advisor and saleswoman in the retail sector.
Roman Franz
Real Estate Manager
Roman Franz has joined the Max Planck Foundation’s real estate team in 2023.
He is responsible for property transactions and various project developments.
After studying construction engineering, Roman Franz worked for major project developers, where he managed various commercial, hotel and residential construction projects.
Previously he was head of department for the property division of a nationwide social services organisation.
Tanja Gardumi
Projekt Assistant Real Estate
Tanja Gardumi has been assisting the real estate department at the Max Planck Foundation since 2022.
Since 1995, Tanja has worked as a pedagogical assistant in day-care centres for children and continues to work there part-time.
Tanja completed her training as a state-certified child care worker at the state vocational school in Vilshofen.
Athina Grigoriadou
Office Manager / Team Assistant
Athina Grigoriadou has been working at the Max Planck Foundation since 2020.
Prior to this time, she worked as a personal and management assistant in internationally operating companies in various industries and divisions.
After completing her bank apprenticeship, Athina studied philosophy, education and psychology at the LMU Munich. Following her first degree, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in human resources and an additional qualification in intercultural communication.
Angela Grimmer
Start-up mentor
Angela Grimmer has been working at the Max Planck Foundation since 2023. Previously, she was CFO of a sustainable mechanical engineering start-up in Chemnitz that she co-founded.
The business graduate has ten years of management experience in the back office.
She completed her training in Germany, Mexico, Scandinavia and the USA.
Vincent Höhn
Investment Manager
Vincent Höhn joined the Max Planck Foundation’s investment team in 2021.
Previously, he worked for a management consultancy firm and as an investment manager in a German single-family office.
Vincent completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and his Master’s degree in Finance & Information Management at the Technical University of Munich and the University of Toronto.
Julia Hof
Philanthropy & Commitment
Julia Hof has been working for the Max-Planck-Foundation since 2020.
From 2016 to 2018 she already had been contact person for the concerns of new and existing major donors.
After studying business administration at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and working as Marketing Director in an international consumer goods company she advised private donors and companies in starting and developing their own foundations at Haus des Stiftens. Last she was head of partners and donors for a foundation supporting a new concert hall in Munich.
Mark Möbius
Technology Scout
Mark Möbius has been working for the Max-Planck-Foundation since 2020.
He has been in leading positions at startup incubators for 20 years, working with technology-based startups from universities. Additionally, he has created his own successful ventures and worked as a coach, trainer and consultant for startups as well as for large corporations.
He holds an MBA in Innovation and Business Creation from TU-Munich and holds a Master in Media Science from Bauhaus-University Weimar.
Friederike Nohl
Manager Finance & Controlling
Friederike Nohl has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2010. Before that she was employed in the tax department of a medium-sized auditing firm; since 2010, she is a certified tax consultant.
Friederike holds a degree in Economics from the University of Heidelberg.
Francisco Peres Correia
Investment Manager
Francisco Peres Correia joined the Max Planck Foundation’s investment team in 2023.
Previously he spent seven years in Lisbon working in private equity investment management within the real estate sector. He started his career at BNP Paribas in the M&A department.
Francisco holds a Masters in Corporate Finance and a Degree in Business Administration from Católica Lisbon.
Johanna Pöllath
Managing Director / Foundation Manager
Johanna Pöllath has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2012. Previously, she worked in cultural marketing and public relations.
Johanna studied cultural economy at the University of Passau and holds a certificate in foundation management.
Martin Reiber
Start-up Mentor
Martin Reiber has been working as a technology scout for the Max Planck Foundation since 2023.
A technical chemist by training, he was most recently CEO of a start-up he founded in Freiberg for four years.
Martin Reiber completed his education at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
Andreas Reiser
Technology Scout
Andreas Reiser has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2022.
From the very beginning of his career, he has been passionately committed to innovation. For over 15 years, he has successfully supported corporations and hidden champions in developing new products and business models. As the founder of his own start-ups, he has first hand experience in building a company from the ground up.
Andreas studied mechanical engineering in Hamburg and industrial engineering in Karlsruhe.
Jan Schnorr
Technology Scouting Advisor
Jan Schnorr has been working as a startup scouting advisor for the Max Planck Foundation since 2020.
He is co-founder of a deep technology startup based on research during his PhD at MIT. He built the startup as CTO and as CEO for over 5 years. Since early 2019, he has been advising other startups and founders with a focus on strategy, financing, team building and talent acquisition, as well as technology development.
He holds a PhD in chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Diplom in Chemistry from Goethe University, Frankfurt. Additionally, he worked at Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, between his Diplom and PhD.
Swantje Schütz
Communications
Swantje Schütz has joined the Max Planck Foundation in 2023.
After studying journalism and communications, she worked as a press and public relations officer mainly in the political and educational sector.
For her Master’s degree she studied in Augsburg, Berlin, Aix-en-Provence and Copenhagen.
Isabel Schulze
Technology Scout
Isabel Schulze has been working as a Technology Scout for the Max Planck Foundation since 2021.
Since 2018, she has been advising potential start-ups and SMEs in the areas of technical and business model validation of innovative products, the generation of public funding, team building and management as well as partner acquisition.
In addition to various training courses related to the start-up process, she is a Certified Project Manager of the IAPM and is qualified in the field of agile project management.
In addition to her work for the foundation, she heads FOUNDress, a project for the promotion of start-ups by women in Saxony, and is doing her doctorate in the field of business model innovations for trend technologies.
Iryna Shafranovych
Manager Finance & Controlling
Iryna Shafranovych has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2016. Before, she was employed in the accounting department of an international automobile and motorcycle manufacturer.
Iryna graduated in business administration at the TU Dresden and at the National University of Economics at Ternopil, Ukraine.
Sara Stenvik
Investment Manager
Sara Stenvik joined the asset management team of the Max Planck Foundation in 2023.
Sara completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics at Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki.
Karin Theede
Managing Director / Philanthropy & Commitment
Since the establishment of the Max Planck Foundation in 2006, Karin Theede has been a main contact for all sponsors and Managing Director. Previously, she worked at the non-profit – also scientifically oriented – Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation.
Karin studied economic geography in conjunction with business administration and intercultural communication at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich.
Huong Tran
Manager Finance & Controlling
Huong Tran has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2023.
Prior to this, she worked for a national energy supplier in the accounting department and for a medium-sized auditing company.
Huong completed her bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover.
Verena Walterspiel
Philanthropy & Commitment
Verena Walterspiel has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2019.
After studying philosophy, linguistics and literature, Verena has been in the non-profit sector since 1988: first in the foundation of a visionary entrepreneur, then as the board member of a foundation established according to the last will of an artist.
We are hiring
Investment Assistant (f/m/x)
We are looking for an Investment Assistant (f/m/x) to join our Munich-based team. Based on your experience, you will support the investment team in administrative, analytical, and reporting tasks.
We look forward to receiving your application documents including your earliest possible start date: bewerber@maxplanckfoundation.org
Online application
Max Planck Foundation closely cooperates with the Max Planck Society through their Development Unit. Head and a member of the MPF management is Beatrice Melot.
Board of Directors
Dr. Andrea von Drygalski
Speaker
Dr. Horst Goß
Dr. Paul Lerbinger
Dr. Dietmar Scheiter
Dr. Simone Schwanitz
Secretary-General of the Max Planck Society
Supervisory Board
Dr. Stefan von Holtzbrinck
Speaker
Heidemarie Baumann
Dr. Klaus Berner
Prof. Dr. Patrick Cramer
President of the Max Planck Society
Prof. Dr. Ulman Lindenberger
Vice-President of the Max Planck Society
Dr. Gitta Neufang
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Pöllath
Prof. Dr. Wulf von Schimmelmann
The members of the Board of Directors and of the Supervisory Board are unpaid volunteers.
The Advisory Board supports the Max Planck Foundation; its members are honorary ambassadors.
Advisory Board
Dr. Barbara Bludau
Munich
member since 2014
Prof. Dr. Hermut Kormann
Ulm
member since 2019
Joachim Münch
Saarbrücken
member since 2020
Dr. Jasper zu Putlitz
Berlin
member since 2017
Dr. Marie-Nicolette Schottelius
Munich
member since 2017
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Turner
Berlin
member since 2014
Stephan Winkelmeier
Munich
member since 2023
Prof. Dr. Jan Bron, LL.M.oec
Frankfurt am Main
member since 2021
Michaela Martini
Munich
member since 2023
Dr. Christoph Philipp
Munich
member since 2020
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Schinzler
Munich
member since 2014
Heike Schumacher
Munich
member since 2020
Dr. Margot Gräfin von Westerholt
Munich
member since 2014
Dr. Tobias Hueck
Munich
member since 2021
Dr. Gregor M. Mayer
Munich
member since 2014
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Pöllath
Speaker
Munich
member since 2020
Dr. Albrecht Schmidt
Munich
member since 2014
Ulrike v. Sobbe
Hamburg
member since 2014
Rüdiger Willems
Munich
member since 2022