Since the winter semester 2019/2020, Dr. Martin Klose has been teaching and researching as a newly appointed Professor of Business Administration, in particular Controlling, at the Department of Management, Controlling, HealthCare at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. We spoke to Professor Dr. Martin Klose about his career to date, his plans for education and research in Ludwigshafen and his own time as a student.
You have been a professor in Ludwigshafen since this semester. What were you involved in before?
Martin Klose: Coming from an investment controlling background, I spent 17 years working in corporate practice, primarily where controlling or finance faced particular challenges due to a special financing situation. As a rule, these were companies backed by a financial investor; in one of my last positions, I was responsible for a financial restructuring as CFO.
What prompted you to take this new career step?
I had been toying with the idea of going to university for some time. There was an opportunity to do so once before, but I didn't want to leave my company and my employees alone in a critical situation. I got to know HWG LU as a university that has ambitions and doesn't want to stand still. That appeals to me and, at the same time, it was a good fit with the environment, which I was able to leave in harmony and with positive memories.
What do you find particularly appealing about the new job?
In the past, I was very lucky to gain a lot of experience and to be confronted with topics that are anything but commonplace and that many business economists don't get to see in their professional lives. I would now like to pass on this experience and hope that I will be able to inspire students for this subject.
What do you focus on in your education?
Quite clearly: I want to give students an understanding of economic issues and an economic way of thinking. Unfortunately, many economic contexts are not seen or not seen correctly today and are then often misinterpreted. If I can make a small contribution to changing this in the future, I would be very happy.
And in research?
Challenges to controlling in special situations, such as a start-up, a special financing situation or in restructuring, are currently the area that I find most exciting. I also have the impression that this is at best only given marginal attention in the literature. In addition, during my time as an assistant, I really enjoyed dealing with services and their creation and this also fits in well with the focus of HWG LU.
What do you particularly like to think back to in relation to your own time as a student?
I was able to study in a very personal environment and really enjoyed it. I have so many positive memories of my student days that it would go beyond the scope of this interview to recount them all. Even more than twenty years after graduating, I am still in contact with several dozen of my former fellow students - I think that speaks for itself. In general, I have found that my time at university shapes my personality more than anything else. Every day, I observe patterns of behavior and decision-making in myself that I know exactly which lectures from my studies they stem from.
Many business administration students are confronted with the accusation that "only those who don't know exactly what they want study business administration." How would you respond to such an accusation?
I can't understand this accusation. On the contrary: I have met many students of this subject who have worked extremely purposefully to develop both personally and professionally and who know and know exactly what they want to achieve.
What general advice would you give students?
Always stay (1) alert, (2) critical and (3) inquisitive about what is going on around you!
Thank you very much for your time!
Interview: Elena Wassmann/Michelle Schlösser
