Elmar Kutsch

Being uncomfortable is both a challenge and an opportunity for Elmar Kutsch. As a passionate skydiver, his interests, both privately and professionally, revolve around management of the unexpected. Dr. Kutsch's first real exposure to the rather paradoxical world of uncertainty began in 1998, when he held a variety of commercial and senior management positions within the IT industry. Working for one of the biggest IT service providers in Germany, he was responsible for the successful delivery of a number of large projects, including major rollout and outsourcing strategies. Clients included the Commerzbank, the Deutsche Börse (German Stock Exchange), and the Polizei Rheinland Pfalz (State Police Rheinland Pfalz). Dr. Kutsch's passion for the management of uncertainty in projects then led him to pursue a career in academia. In 2001, he won a prestigious Doctoral Studentship from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to complete his PhD in project risk management at the University of Bath. He then served as a lecturer in operations management at the University of Surrey and has been at Cranfield University since 2007. Dr. Kutsch still skydives and hopes for blue skies! He can be reached at elmar.kutsch at cranfield.ac.uk.