Matthias Zaiser has been a member of the IMO Institute for Human & Organizational Development since October 2019.
My Mission
My mission is to create spaces for growth and empower individuals to live out their ideals, ultimately fostering healthy, resilient, and inspired organizations. For many years, I specialized in restructuring small and medium-sized enterprises across the organic food industry, agriculture, and the social sector. Today, my focus has shifted to facilitating renewal processes, developing corporate strategies, and helping leaders and their teams unlock their full potential. I am deeply dedicated to transition processes and succession planning, areas that demand both my extensive business acumen and a keen sensitivity to human dynamics.
My Background
I grew up in southern Germany. After completing my agricultural training near Lake Constance and spending a year in England as an apprentice and organic farming researcher, I studied economics at Witten/Herdecke University in the Ruhr region. I began my career with a two-year tenure at Werkhof, a social enterprise in Dortmund focused on vocational training and employment. There, my passion for social and environmental issues successfully merged with practical business management. During this time, I also met Prof. Kost and his colleagues, with whom I spent the following two years mastering the tools of restructuring management for small and medium-sized businesses.
Afterward, I relocated to Hamburg to launch my own consultancy. It was during this period that I encountered the “Bochum Banking Initiative” and began exploring alternative approaches to financial management. I soon became involved with various foundations, trust organizations, and independent initiatives, including the independent operator of the Bauckhöfe farms and the non-profit trust agency GTS Hamburg. Together with attorney Thomas Rüter, I co-founded the network “Landwirtschaft ist Gemeingut” (Agriculture Is a Common Good). This initiative champions new forms of solidarity and economic organization—serving as vital seedlings that sprout within agriculture to enrich our wider social and economic life.
My Current Roles
Alongside my consulting work and my role as Managing Director of GTS Hamburg, I currently serve on several executive and advisory boards. I also hold a teaching position at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNE), where I lecture on business start-ups within the Department of Eco-Agricultural Management.