Prof.Dr. Riccardo Wagner


Executive Advisor for Strategy, Leadership, AI & Cultural and Sustainable Transformation

Helping leaders navigate technological, cultural and societal change with clarity, realism and ethical depth.

What I Do

I work with leaders who face decisions at the intersection of AI, digital transformation, sustainability, culture and responsibility.

My clients come to me when they need a partner who can think with them — not just a consultant who delivers slides.

For more than 25 years, I have moved between business practice, academia and media:

as a professor of sustainable management and communication, founder, advisor, journalist, author and sparring partner for executives in business, public institutions, NGOs and the Church.

Across these fields, my work is driven by a central question:

How can organizations and societies remain successful, cohesive and humane in an age of disruption — and what does responsible leadership require today?

I help decision-makers see clearly, think strategically and act with integrity.


How I Support You

Executive Sparring & Mentoring

A confidential, high-trust space for leaders who need strategic and ethical clarity — beyond internal politics and organizational noise.

I challenge assumptions, widen perspectives, test decisions and help you think through consequences.

Keynotes & Executive Impulse Sessions

Talks at the intersection of leadership, AI, sustainability, culture and ethics — designed to provoke new thinking rather than repeat standard narratives.

Strategy Days & Decision Workshops

Compact formats for leadership teams seeking alignment, focus and clear priorities in a complex environment.

I deliberately do not offer long operational projects or agency-style implementation.

Instead, you get a thinking partner who combines analytical sharpness with philosophical depth and practical experience.


Core Themes

AI, Leadership & Culture

How do we use AI in a way that strengthens—not replaces—judgement, responsibility and human agency?

Sustainability without Ideology

How can organizations take ecological and social responsibility seriously without falling into alarmism, moralism or corporate posturing?

Belief, Ethics & Society

For faith-based organizations, Christian leaders and church institutions:

How can values, mission and spiritual identity shape leadership, communication and public credibility?


Who I Work With

  • CEOs, founders, executive boards and owners
  • Leaders in strategy, communication, sustainability and public affairs
  • Public institutions, ministries, NGOs and foundations
  • Church leaders, religious communities, dioceses and faith-driven entrepreneurs

Typical questions include:

  • How do we stay credible and future-ready in an environment shaped by AI, ecological pressure and cultural fragmentation?
  • How do we position our organization with clarity — internally and externally?
  • How do we align values, strategy and communication without becoming moralistic or superficial?
  • How do we keep our teams focused, motivated and responsible in uncertain times?

My Background

Professor for Sustainable Management & Communication at Hochschule Fresenius (Cologne, Germany).

Dean of Studies for the M.Sc. programs Sustainability Management & Leadership and Digital Management & Leadership.

More than two decades of leadership and consulting experience.

My work bridges:

  • Management practice & organizational research
  • Communication, media & brand strategy
  • Philosophy, psychology & sociology
  • Social ethics, Christian humanism and cultural analysis

This interdisciplinarity is not decoration —

it is the foundation of my advisory work.

Complex problems require perspectives that cross boundaries.


What Clients Value About Working With Me

  • Intellectual clarity without jargon
  • Ethical and cultural depth without moralism
  • Directness and honesty without theatrics
  • Analytical thinking grounded in real experience
  • A rare combination of management expertise and social-ethical judgment

Let’s Connect

If you want a strategic thinking partner who brings breadth, depth and realism to your most important decisions, feel free to reach out: