Born and bred in beautiful southern Austria, opens an external URL in a new window, during his early years, Christoph spent significant time in his parents’ retail business. Ever since then, “the marketplace” - with all its phenomena regarding supply and demand - sparked his interest. After earning a Master’s degree and a doctorate degree in marketing and retail management, he taught at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, opens an external URL in a new window as an Assistant Professor and earned a “Venia Docendi” for Business Studies (post-doc degree). During that time, he spent almost a year as an Otto Mønsteds Scholar at the Copenhagen Business School, opens an external URL in a new window. He then moved to the British university system and spent over eleven years there, first as a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Stirling , opens an external URL in a new window(Scotland), and then as a full Professor at the University of Surrey , opens an external URL in a new window(England). In collaboration with many outstanding colleagues (and friends), his research has been published in leading journals in the field of marketing, retailing and operations management. Christoph feels privileged to have taught many bright and inquisitive students in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs at numerous internationally renowned institutions. Most importantly, he is proud to have supervised over ten (smart, ambitious, and hardworking) PhD candidates as they earned their degree. His research projects and publications have been funded by Austrian and British organisations and he is the recipient of numerous awards. He currently heads the Institute of Retailing, Sales and Marketing at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, opens an external URL in a new window, as the Chair of Marketing (proving that in fact, you can go home again!).

For five years, Christoph has served in different management and leadership roles, such as the head and assistant department head of Department (Marketing and Retail Management), opens an external URL in a new window at Surrey Business School, opens an external URL in a new window, and Director of various Marketing and Management MSc programmes for six years at both Surrey and Stirling Business School, opens an external URL in a new window. He was recently appointed Head of the Institute of Retail, Sales and Marketing, and is the Programme Director of the MSc Management at JKU Business School, opens an external URL in a new window.

His contribution to the scientific community ranges from extensive reviewing for academic journals and conferences, examining and mentoring PhD candidates, supervising programmes and REF (Research Exercise Framework) submissions at British and Irish universities, (co-)organising conferences and serving on editorial advisory boards. Most importantly, and in an effort to help build the next generation of excellent and responsible scholars in the fields of marketing and retailing, he supports the advancement of early-career researchers and lecturers to the best of his ability. An overview of Christoph’s recent and past roles and contributions to the scientific community is available below.

Christoph is currently the President of the Linz Marketing Club, opens an external URL in a new window (approx. 250 members involved in the field and who are passionate about Marketing). Lastly, Christoph is also proud of having served the republic as an infantry officer in the 25^th Airbourne Battalion , opens an external URL in a new window (territorial forces) of the 7^th Infantry Brigade for 16 years.