Mark Schmid-Neuhaus (Germany)

A Doctor of Medicine with an MBA from the Institut National Supérieur d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD), Dr. Schmid-Neuhaus has, throughout his rich career, always been both an innovator and pragmatic leader.

He initially specialized in family and sports medicine, as well as in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, and has headed several organizations in the areas of heart disease prevention, convalescence, group dynamics, and family therapy (DAGG).

From 1964 to 1978 he held several executive positions in the German pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Since 1978, Dr. Schmid-Neuhaus has been Medical Director at the Der Gesundheitspark center for preventive medicine in Munich. The center was founded in 1973 by the City of Munich in cooperation with public and private health-insurance funds, social security, and affiliated doctors. This unique institution brings together 25 doctors, 60 psychologists, and 50 professionals specialized in wellness through bodywork, art, and sports, and is now considered a model for promoting public health through preventive medicine. The program, based on a revolutionary medical paradigm that focuses less on pathogenesis and more on the origins of health, or "salutogenesis" (Aaron Antonovsky), opens up new possibilities for high-risk occupations (e.g. Munich's 1800 bus drivers).

This principle was embraced by the American Public Health Association as a new model for the United States. Subsequent to a pilot program in rural Iowa, the model became the basis for Chicago's Health Park of America (HPA), which Dr. Schmid-Neuhaus co-founded.

Dr. Schmid-Neuhaus also has a private practice. Drawing on the neurosciences and group dynamics, has developed an innovative approach to helping executives deal with complexity and meet performance objectives. The result has been greater personal and professional effectiveness.

He has written numerous articles, has a regular segment on TV, and has long written editorials for a widely read German magazine.