Stephan Sonnenburg

Stephan Sonnenburg is a Professor at Karlshochschule International University since 2008, serving as Head of the Master Management program and Member of the Senate. His research focuses on creativity and innovation management, branding, and organizational transformation with a performative interdisciplinary approach. He holds a Dr. phil. from Berlin University of the Arts (thesis: Cooperative Creativity) and advanced degrees in art studies and European Business Administration.

Teaching includes over 20 modules across undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing brand strategy, creativity in management, and cultural change. He supervised 70+ bachelor theses, 40+ master/diploma theses, and 3 dissertations. Practical experience spans senior strategic planning roles at agencies like SelectNY.Berlin and ECONOMIA/BBDO.

Key contributions include organizing conferences like ReThinking Management (2014) and Touring Consumption (2013), and co-editing book series on Management, Culture, and Interpretation. Awards include a 2011 Norwegian research scholarship and recognition for innovative approaches to creativity training (Lego Serious Play certified). His work bridges artistic, managerial, and cultural dimensions of creativity through publications on design thinking, brand mythologies, and future-oriented pedagogies.

Research trends reflect his interdisciplinary focus: combining cultural theory with business practices to explore emergent creativity patterns, branded spaces, and liminal experiences. His 2020 book Creativity Route Planner offers actionable strategies for daily innovation. He actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organizing and peer-reviewed journals in creativity studies, marketing, and organizational symbolism.