Dr.
Operator & Transformation Leader · Fractional C-Level · Pharma & Life Sciences
“Building organizations from the ground up that redefine industry standards.”
Dr. Michael A. Kurr is the Founder of Dr. Kurr Advisory, an independent platform for fractional C-level and advisory mandates in Pharma & Life Sciences. He also serves as Fractional Chief Commercial Officer at Lemna Bio and as a Fellow at THENA Capital, a UK-based specialist MedTech investor.
Previously, he served as Global Head of Human Pharma Services at Boehringer Ingelheim (2019–2025), where he built the entire global services organization from scratch - scaling it tenfold to full geographical coverage within four years. Before that, he spent eight years at Novartis in senior leadership roles across global business services and product lifecycle services.
His academic foundation includes a Doctorate and Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen, a Dipl.-Ing. from RWTH Aachen University, and executive programs at MIT Sloan and IMD in digital transformation and AI.
“Structure follows process follows strategy” - anchored in the three pillars of People, Process, and Technology.
Fractional C-Level & Advisory | Pharma & Life Sciences
Strategy & Partnerships | Computational Drug Design
MedTech Investment | Early-Stage Digital & Device Companies
Boehringer Ingelheim
Novartis
Schuh & Co. GmbH
Economics, Technology Management
Organization growth built at Boehringer Ingelheim
From zero to full global scale
Years of corporate transformation experience
Major global organizations shaped
Built one of the leading content supply chains in the industry at Boehringer Ingelheim, according to external benchmarking studies - scaling from a small delivery unit to a comprehensive global services organization spanning every market worldwide.
From his academic roots at the University of St. Gallen and RWTH Aachen, through eight years of progressive leadership at Novartis, to building one of the pharma industry’s leading service organizations at Boehringer Ingelheim - Dr. Kurr’s career is defined by turning ambitious visions into operational reality. Now, as an independent advisor and fractional C-level executive, he brings this proven track record to help organizations across Pharma & Life Sciences achieve strategic clarity and scalable growth.
Reengineering-Projekte professionell gestalten und umsetzen
Günther Schuh, Thomas Friedli, Michael A. Kurr
Carl Hanser Verlag, 2006 · 204 pages
A guide for process-oriented reorganization that combines the strengths of radical reengineering with the human factor and practical implementability. Features case studies from Schiesser, Alu Menziken, and Lista.
Systematische Vorbereitung – Gezielter Auf- und Ausbau – Entscheidende Erfolgsfaktoren
Günther Schuh, Thomas Friedli, Michael A. Kurr
Carl Hanser Verlag, 2005 · 207 pages
A step-by-step guide for building successful inter-company cooperations, covering systematic preparation, targeted development, and the critical success factors that determine long-term partnership viability.
Dissertation, University of St. Gallen (HSG)
International Journal of Services and Operations Management, Vol. 2(3), pp. 203–221, 2006
Schuh & Co. Komplexitätsmanagement, 2007
SATW-Bulletin / Schweizerische Akademie der technischen Wissenschaften, 2004
CIOLook Magazine
“Structure follows process follows strategy”
“Avoid assumptions - reality always looks different.”
“Practice patience and strategic thinking in corporate environments.”
“Stay current and relevant by embracing change proactively.”
“Michael is exactly the kind of systems thinker you want in that environment: he sees the full ecosystem—people, process, data, governance—and translates it into pragmatic actions that actually scale. What I’ve valued most is the openness and candor in how we work together: high trust, constructive sparring—always leading back to clarity and progress.”
Dr. Michael A. Kurr is the Founder of Dr. Kurr Advisory, an independent platform for fractional C-level and advisory mandates in Pharma & Life Sciences. He also serves as Fractional Chief Commercial Officer at Lemna Bio and as a Fellow at THENA Capital. Previously, he was Global Head of Human Pharma Services at Boehringer Ingelheim (2019–2025), where he built the entire global services organization from scratch, scaling it tenfold within four years.
Dr. Kurr specializes in corporate transformation, process reengineering, commercial and medical operations, cooperation management, digital and AI strategy, and people leadership. He has 20+ years of experience transforming global organizations in pharma and life sciences, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Roche Diagnostics, Daimler, and Schott.
Dr. Kurr co-authored two books published by Carl Hanser Verlag: ‘Prozessorientierte Reorganisation: Reengineering-Projekte professionell gestalten und umsetzen’ (2006, 204 pages, ISBN 978-3-446-40720-6) and ‘Kooperationsmanagement: Systematische Vorbereitung – Gezielter Auf- und Ausbau – Entscheidende Erfolgsfaktoren’ (2005, 207 pages, ISBN 978-3-446-40036-8), both with Prof. Günther Schuh and Prof. Thomas Friedli.
Dr. Kurr holds a Doctorate (Dr. oec. HSG) and an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen, a Dipl.-Ing. from RWTH Aachen University in Production Management and Manufacturing Technology, an Executive Certificate in Digital Business from MIT Sloan School of Management (2024), and completed three programs at IMD Business School in digital transformation, strategy, and analytics.
Dr. Kurr Advisory provides strategic clarity, scalable operating model design, and profitable growth advisory for Pharma & Life Sciences organizations. Services include fractional C-level leadership (CCO, CTO, COO), corporate transformation consulting, go-to-market strategy, digital operations design, AI readiness, and organizational development.
At Boehringer Ingelheim (2019–2025), Dr. Kurr built the Global Human Pharma Services organization from scratch over 4 years, expanding it tenfold to full geographical scale. The organization included a Global Services Delivery Unit, Digital Content Factory in India, Creative Factory, and a Global Service Layer. External benchmarking studies recognized it as one of the leading content supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Kurr’s leadership is anchored in five core traits: Transparency, Respect, Empowerment, Fairness, and Vision. His core equation is ‘Structure follows process follows strategy,’ anchored in the three pillars of People, Process, and Technology. He operates by three management rules: avoid assumptions, practice patience and strategic thinking, and stay current by embracing change proactively.
Looking for fractional C-level support, strategic advisory, or transformation leadership in Pharma & Life Sciences? I’m always open to meaningful conversations.
