Dr.
Michael Kurr
Operator & Transformation Leader · Fractional C-Level · Pharma & Life Sciences
“Building organizations from the ground up that redefine industry standards.”
Two Decades of Transforming Global Organizations
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.
Founder — Dr. Kurr Advisory
Fractional C-Level & Advisory | Pharma & Life Sciences
Fractional CCO, Lemna Bio
Strategy & Partnerships | Computational Drug Design
Fellow — THENA Capital
MedTech Investment | Early-Stage Digital & Device Companies
Global Head, Human Pharma Services
Boehringer Ingelheim
Head of Business Service Excellence & Senior Global Program Lead
Novartis
Management Consultant
Schuh & Co. GmbH
Dr. oec. HSG — University of St. Gallen
Economics, Technology Management
Areas of Expertise
Corporate Transformation
Building and scaling organizations from the ground up across global markets
Process Reengineering
Designing process-oriented enterprises that balance radical change with the human factor
Commercial & Medical Operations
Building scalable operating models for content, omnichannel, analytics, and digital operations
Cooperation Management
Orchestrating strategic alliances and inter-company partnerships
Digital & AI Strategy
Leveraging AI, data science, and digital technologies for competitive advantage
People & Leadership
Developing high-performing global teams through empowerment, trust, and vision
From Concept to Reality
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.
Published Works
Prozessorientierte Reorganisation
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.
Kooperationsmanagement
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.
Academic Work
- Dissertation
Potentialorientiertes Kooperationsmanagement in der Zulieferindustrie — Vom strategischen Kooperationspotential zur operativen Umsetzung
Dissertation, University of St. Gallen (HSG)
- Success factors for collaboration management in manufacturing companies
International Journal of Services and Operations Management, Vol. 2(3), pp. 203–221, 2006
Aufbau und Nutzen von Kooperationen: ApoKop — ein Erfahrungsbericht aus dem Gesundheitswesen
Schuh & Co. Komplexitätsmanagement, 2007
Netzwerke in Virtuellen Fabriken
SATW-Bulletin / Schweizerische Akademie der technischen Wissenschaften, 2004
How I Lead
Transparency
Clear communication that fosters trust, especially in uncertain environments
Respect
Conveyed through the quality of every interaction and communication
Empowerment
Enabling teams to make decisions with accountability — no micromanagement
Fairness
"One of the most important things in life" — the foundation of everything
Vision
Providing a North Star and compelling direction that goes beyond strategy
“Structure follows process follows strategy”
Three Management Rules
“Avoid assumptions — reality always looks different.”
“Practice patience and strategic thinking in corporate environments.”
“Stay current and relevant by embracing change proactively.”
As Featured In
“Michael established Boehringer’s service and delivery organisation from scratch. This is an impressive organisation that has proven its value across multiple services and departments ranging from commercial to medical. He is admired for his bold vision, incredible focus on people development, and ability to make things happen.”— LinkedIn Recommendation from a Colleague
Let’s Connect
Looking for fractional C-level support, strategic advisory, or transformation leadership in Pharma & Life Sciences? I’m always open to meaningful conversations.