Hans Kohlsdorf

Managing Partner, Advisory Board Architects

Experience

In addition to being an intuitive businessman, Hans-Joachim Kohlsdorf believes in improving all peoples’ quality of life, whether it’s through the ease of mobility, supporting social inclusion for those less privileged or by providing access to affordable energy. After the Mexican energy sector transitioned to a more open electricity market to accommodate for technological changes like Distributed Generation and Smart Grids Hans, together with some experienced partners founded Energy to Market, E2M, one of the first wholesale electricity suppliers, trader and service provider. As a managing partner of Advisory Board Architects, he advises boards of directors and advisory boards of large corporations, family-owned businesses and private equity firms. They are proud to be the first worldwide company that is exclusively focused on designing, building, implementing and evaluating boards transforming them into high impact boards that strategically support the management.

Hans has helped many companies by serving on boards. He is president of the board of directors of Grupo Construlita, the largest lighting company in Mexico, specializing in innovative technology and lighting solutions. He was also an operating partner at private equity investors
Advent International, one of the most well-renowned private equity investors in the world. He serves on the Board of ADO, a global mobility company focused on improving the quality of life in urban areas and regional transportation, and NATGAS, a company that helps to significantly reduce pollution in urban areas by replacing Diesel and Gasoline with now abundant and clean natural gas. Natgas is owned by the private equity fund Northgate Capital and a group of brilliant and innovative businessmen. He was on the board of IEC Holden, a Canadian company with several international factories that globally manufacture electric propulsion and powertrain equipment. He also served as president of the board of directors at Trust For the Americas, a foundation affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS).

Although he has over 30 years experience in the industrial, healthcare and energy sector, Hans-Joachim originally did not set out to join the energy field. He began his studies at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá focusing on economics. He began his professional career at Siemens in Colombia, where he stayed for nearly a decade. Beginning with Siemens Mobile, he worked his way up to the role of president of Siemens in the Andean Region and after attending the Harvard Business School prestigious Advanced Management Program rose to the ranks of president and CEO of Siemens Mesoamerica. As CEO of Mesoamerica, Hans increased their revenue by 32% through the expansion of the client base across various industries and by opening multiple factories.

Skills

  • Corporate Finance
  • Energy
  • Strategy
  • International Business
  • Business Development
  • Negotiation

Recent Blogs

How You Should Engage Your Board

Organizational leadership requires a growth mindset that can be difficult to materialize. While thinking ambitiously about the future of your company may come naturally, finding ways to turn your dreams into tangible objectives is a challenge that halts many leaders...