Dr. Michael Trautmann

Michael is a founder, advisor, entrepreneur, author, and keynote speaker. He is Co-Founder of NWMS GmbH and has been co-hosting the podcast On the Way to New Work for nine years, where he has conducted over 550 conversations with leading thinkers from business, academia, and society. After studying business administration and completing a PhD in ecology-oriented marketing, Michael started his career at Bossard Consultants. He went on to become Managing Director at Springer & Jacoby and later Global Chief Marketing Officer at Audi. In 2004, he co-founded the agency kempertrautmann, which later became thjnk. He is also co-founder of HYROX, the world’s first mass-participation fitness competition. Throughout his career, Michael has been recognized with numerous awards, including “Man of the Year” (Horizont), Top 40 under 40 in European Marketing, Global Newcomer Agency of the Year, and LinkedIn Top Voice. His work today focuses on leadership, personal growth, and the future of work. 

As a certified Working Out Loud (WOL) Coach since 2022, he successfully integrates the methodology into the New Work Masterskills Executive Program, supporting leaders in building strong networks, fostering collaboration, and driving meaningful change. Together with WOL mastermind John Stepper, Michael has further developed the approach for leadership contexts, co-creating formats such as WOL for Leaders and WOL for Strengths, bringing the principles of Working Out Loud into modern leadership development. Michael strongly believes in Working Out Loud as a powerful framework for building relationships, enabling continuous learning, and creating sustainable transformation in individuals and organizations.