I am a policy advisor, business consultant, writer and speaker working at the intersection of social, environmental and economic issues around the globe. With over 20 years of experience working in 30 countries with over 50 organisations I am able to see the bigger picture and quickly understand what different stakeholders need. At the same time I have an eye for detail and always look for tailor-made solutions that make sense in a given context.
Above all, I am concerned about societal progress and sustainable development that creates opportunities across the social, ecological and economic spheres. I want to contribute as much as possible to help ensure that stakeholders across the globe work together in ways that prioritise social and environmental goals as much as economic objectives. To rephrase Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scout Movement, I want to leave the world a bit better than I found it.
I enjoy working with businesses, governments, international organisations and civil society on complex issues and challenging projects that make a positive impact across the socio-economic and environmental domain. My services range from acting as a speaker at conferences and seminars to conducting assessments, evaluating projects, developing strategies, producing publications and training teams. I work on a variety of development and sustainability issues and also lecture at university.
In addition to directing my own consulting firm, I am an MIT Climate Amabassador and an associate of Endeva, a Berlin-based research and consulting firm I co-directed in the past. Since 2012, I have been teaching courses for BA and MBA students on Sustainable Business and Management for the Future at Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Above all, I am concerned about societal progress and sustainable development that creates opportunities across the social, ecological and economic spheres. I want to contribute as much as possible to help ensure that stakeholders across the globe work together in ways that prioritise social and environmental goals as much as economic objectives. To rephrase Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scout Movement, I want to leave the world a bit better than I found it.
I enjoy working with businesses, governments, international organisations and civil society on complex issues and challenging projects that make a positive impact across the socio-economic and environmental domain. My services range from acting as a speaker at conferences and seminars to conducting assessments, evaluating projects, developing strategies, producing publications and training teams. I work on a variety of development and sustainability issues and also lecture at university.
In addition to directing my own consulting firm, I am an MIT Climate Amabassador and an associate of Endeva, a Berlin-based research and consulting firm I co-directed in the past. Since 2012, I have been teaching courses for BA and MBA students on Sustainable Business and Management for the Future at Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Speaking topics
- Sustainable Business in a post-COVID World: Let's not Waste this Crisis
- COVID-19 and the climate crisis: parallels, opportunities and lessons learned
- Climate change: understanding the impacts of climate action and systems dynamics using the En-ROADS simulator
- Multisolving: double opportunities and triple wins across the social, environmental and economic spheres
- Planetary Health: how climate change makes us sick and how climate action can pay for itself
- Social Impact: maximising societal impact by integrating micro and macro perspectives
- Sustainable Development: SDG trade-offs and how public & private actors can address them
- Happiness: Beyond GDP - real measures for societal progress and wellbeing
- Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility: managing for tomorrow by addressing global challenges of today
- Africa: doing business in Africa through inclusive innovation and meaningful stakeholder engagement
- Global Health: multisectoral risks in need of multisectoral collaboration and health in all policies
Recent publications
References
“Not only is Alice technically and analytically excellent, producing high quality deliverables, she is also extremely thorough in ensuring she is on the same page as the client from the get go, offering dependable, timely and appropriate schedules that you can rely on, and is always professional and pleasant to work with.” Naomi Woods, Malaria Consortium
“I wish all consultants could be as analytical and results-driven as Alice. She is exceptionally well organised and skilled to quickly adapt to different contexts. She sets realistic deadlines that she successfully meets and produces high quality outputs. She has an amazing writing style too!” Caroline Vanderick, Tropical Health
“Alice has been a rare pleasure to work with – knowledgeable, pro-active and reliable, she delivered high-quality and timely analytical outputs." Yael Vellmann, WaterAid
"I have not met a consultant before who managed to combine pragmatism with rigour as well as Alice does. Her end products were brilliant and it is also a lot of fun to work with her!” Claudia Knobloch, endeva
"Due to her innate intelligence and hard work, Alice is a quick learner, who is rapidly able to pick up both content and context. She is an excellent communicator. Alice is never shy to ask the right questions and, without fail, consistently delivers a high-quality product on time." Jeffrey Mecaskey, Health Partners International
"Alice is extremely effective in blending her business background with her NGO and UN work to the utmost benefit of her clients. She is not only a strong professional with a broad spectrum of expertise and cross-cultural experience, but also an excellent communicator and speaker."
Prof. Barbara Stöttinger, Vienna University of Economics and Business
"Student evaluations have been extremely positive, highlighting Ms. Schmidt’s excellent teaching skills and her high level of commitment." Prof. Wolfgang Obenaus, Vienna University of Economics and Business
“I wish all consultants could be as analytical and results-driven as Alice. She is exceptionally well organised and skilled to quickly adapt to different contexts. She sets realistic deadlines that she successfully meets and produces high quality outputs. She has an amazing writing style too!” Caroline Vanderick, Tropical Health
“Alice has been a rare pleasure to work with – knowledgeable, pro-active and reliable, she delivered high-quality and timely analytical outputs." Yael Vellmann, WaterAid
"I have not met a consultant before who managed to combine pragmatism with rigour as well as Alice does. Her end products were brilliant and it is also a lot of fun to work with her!” Claudia Knobloch, endeva
"Due to her innate intelligence and hard work, Alice is a quick learner, who is rapidly able to pick up both content and context. She is an excellent communicator. Alice is never shy to ask the right questions and, without fail, consistently delivers a high-quality product on time." Jeffrey Mecaskey, Health Partners International
"Alice is extremely effective in blending her business background with her NGO and UN work to the utmost benefit of her clients. She is not only a strong professional with a broad spectrum of expertise and cross-cultural experience, but also an excellent communicator and speaker."
Prof. Barbara Stöttinger, Vienna University of Economics and Business
"Student evaluations have been extremely positive, highlighting Ms. Schmidt’s excellent teaching skills and her high level of commitment." Prof. Wolfgang Obenaus, Vienna University of Economics and Business