Professor of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management where she holds the IHK-Chair for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. She holds a PhD in Economics from University of Jena and a Master Degree in International Economics from Universiteit Maastricht (Netherlands). She was previously Research Fellow at Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena including various research stays at international renowned universities. Her research has been published in top journals and was honored with numerous awards internationally. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Academy of Management, Entrepreneurship Division, a global professional association for researchers and practitioners. She has worked for numerous scientific conferences and journals as an organizer, consultant and reviewer.