Joachim Jan Thraen

Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium

Dr. Joachim Jan Thraen is a Senior Advisor on Strategy and Geopolitics, advising senior leaders on geopolitical, regulatory, and strategic developments shaping global markets and corporate decision-making. His professional experience includes leadership roles in strategy, policy, and public affairs, currently at Merck & Co., and previously with Johnson & Johnson, and UBS, as well as earlier experience in strategy consulting at Bain & Company. He is also a lecturer in Geopolitics, China, and global strategy at the University of St. Gallen University, Oxford Saïd Business School, and other international institutions. A recognized China expert, he lived in Shanghai for two years and is the author of Mastering Innovation in China (Springer, 2015) and co-editor of Successful Technology Clusters in the 21st Century (De Gruyter, 2026). Dr. Thraen holds a BSc in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics, an MA in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, and a PhD in Innovation Management from the University of St. Gallen.