Dr. Gerhard Fatzer

CEO and founder of the Institute since 1991

Dr. Gerhard Fatzer, Director Trias Institute, Visiting Faculty and Visiting Professorships at various universities, Visiting Researcher M.I.T. Sloan School (since 1982), organizational developer and leadership trainer in a global context# Gerhard Fatzer completed his doctorate in education, social psychology and philosophy at the University of Zurich. He has been advising companies and institutions since 1983 and is dedicated to the training of consultants and coaches. He set up Switzerland’s second supervision program at the IAP in 1983. He is considered an OE pioneer in the German-speaking world. From 1980 to 82 and 1987/88, he met and worked with all the important founders of OE as a guest researcher: Edgar H. Schein, Chris Argyris, Warren Bennis, Fred Massarik, Ed Nevis, Kathleen Dannemiller, Larry Lippitt, Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, John Van Maanen. Gerhard Fatzer is a visiting professor or visiting faculty at the University of Innsbruck, at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, at the IEDC in Bled, at the University of Ljubljana, at Thapar University in Patiala (India). He has taught at the ETH Zurich, at the ESSEC in Paris, at the EFH Freiburg and EFH Hannover (with Kornelia Rappe Giesecke). He has been a visiting researcher at the M.I.T. Sloan School since 1987. Intensive collaboration with Edgar H. Schein. Conducted various conferences with Trias on topics such as “Transformation”, “Leadership”, “Inspiration”. New cooperation with the HWZ in Zurich and Dr. Daniel Schmid and a joint conference in May 2017 on “Humble Leadership”. From 1989 to 1990, he was a visiting professor for OE at the Gesamthochschule Kassel. From 1991 Trias started with training programs in all D A CH countries. Most recently, a “Trias Master Class” was created with Anne Fanenbruck, Mouna Läderach, Dr. Sabina Schöfer, Dr. Sylvia Böcker, and with the Sloan School at M.I.T. (John Van Maanen, Edgar H. Schein, Otto Scharmer and Peter Senge) https://bit.ly/2s4H0p6 Trias is the only provider in the German-speaking world with a cooperation with M.I.T. Sloan School (Organization Studies Group). As an organizational developer, Trias has carried out development and change programs worldwide in China, South Vietnam, India, in various African and Arab countries and in all D A CH nations. Gerhard Fatzer and John Van Maanen are editors of the volume “Edgar H. Schein: The Spirit of Inquiry”, commemorating Ed Schein’s 90th birthday. (together with Daniel Schmid from HWZ and Wolfgang Weber from the University of Innsbruck). Fatzer publishes a series of books on organizational development (EHP Organisation) and the specialist journal “Profile” (published by EHP). He is the author and editor of numerous standard works, the best known of which is “Supervision und Beratung”. He has also made it his mission to introduce all important OE titles from the USA to the German cultural area and to initiate the missing intercultural dialog in the field of management and OE. The books by Gerhard Fatzer and the Trias network are now being published by “Psychosozial” (www.psychosozial.de) with the latest title “Art of Change” (2021) with contributions from all Trias networkers. Latest title, as a memorial volume for our mentor Edgar H. Schein, “Organizational Development as Art” (together with Anne Fanenbruck) (2024) As a lover of culture and wine, he loves to travel and rides a racing bike. His son is an important conversation partner for him. His family has always been a great support to him. He also writes children’s books (“Coyote Stories”) and about his extraordinary family history.