Prof. Dr. Judith Mayer
Prof. Dr. Judith Mayer (opens in a new window)
Professor for the field of sustainability communication
Can you tell us something about your career so far?
I studied business administration, finance and business informatics and have been a fan and advocate of interdisciplinarity in teaching and research ever since. In 2014, I completed my doctorate on social innovations, specifically on the financing and governance of social enterprises. Social enterprises are enormously exciting because they leverage real innovation potential at the intersection of the social sector and business. I then spent a good seven years in an international strategic communications consultancy, advising clients primarily in the context of transactions and in the area of sustainability.
What are your teaching and research interests and what are you particularly interested in at the moment?
I am concerned with what contribution social innovation makes in the context of sustainability transformation. A few specific questions that are driving me: How do we scale innovative social or environmental business models as successfully as tech companies? How can we embed multidimensional objectives in existing companies? What does it mean in concrete terms when companies no longer act according to the maxim of profit maximization?
Personal details
My field of expertise in three words:
... World of tomorrow
HNU is:
... colorful in all respects - not only pink, purple and blue
This is my favorite phrase to hear from my students:
"Do you think we can do it?" (In the context of a discussion on climate change, my answer: "YES.")
My current read:
"walkaway" by Cory Docotorow.
My next project/publication:
What can we learn from social enterprises for a shift towards a more sustainable way of doing business?
First thing I do at my desk in the morning:
Since I'm currently commuting: open my computer and off I go to lecture.
What is always on your desk?
Too much...
Why did you become a professor?
It motivates me enormously to pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm for my topics to students and, in turn, to learn from them. I hope to make a small contribution to making our world a little better.
Now that I have started, I can already say that the close exchange with students brings a lot of joy. What more could you want on the job?
What can students learn in your lectures?
In addition to the classic content (business administration and 'learning to write'), I am primarily interested in sustainable economic design, multidimensional thinking and a very general mindset when we think about the world of tomorrow.
How were your first months at HNU?
Great and exhausting.
What brought you to Neu-Ulm and HNU in particular? What do you like about the region?
To be honest, the specific call for proposals on sustainability communication was a great fit in terms of content. I think it's great that HNU is still comparatively small and therefore very flexible in my eyes. It is also well positioned with its three faculties; the interdisciplinary focus at the Faculty of Information Management is particularly great.
What do you like to do most when you are not teaching and/or researching at HNU?
Spending time with my husband, our two daughters and friends.
Either | Or
Sushi or spaetzle? Sushi.
Camping or hotel? Hotel in the meantime.
Book or movie? Book.
Allgäu Alps or Lake Constance? Both.
Coffee or tea? Tea.
Bicycle or car? Bicycle.
Sofa or armchair? Sofa, there's room for more than one.
Notebook or notebook app? Notebook.
Walk in the woods or city trip? City trip.
