People - 01.08.2025 - 08:00
Prof. Dr Thomas Friedli completed his studies in Business Administration with a specialisation in Technology Management at the University of St.Gallen, graduating with a Licentiate (MA). He completed his doctorate in Collaboration Management (The Architecture of Cooperations) with the highest distinction and was awarded the prestigious Dr. Peter Werhahn Prize for ‘particularly excellent scientific achievements in the field of management and scientific theory’.
Prof. Dr Thomas Friedli has been involved in research, teaching, executive education and university management at the University of St.Gallen for over 20 years. After starting out as a research associate and project manager at ITEM-HSG, he took on further positions. Since 2011, he has been a Senior Lecturer and Titular Professor of Business Administration, specialising in production management. He is also a long-standing director of the ITEM-HSG institute and, since 2025, interim director of the newly formed PSCM-HSG.
Prof. Dr Thomas Friedli's research focuses on the management of global production networks and their further development in the context of digitialisation, resilience and efficiency. Other research focuses include operational excellence, smart manufacturing and smart services. His work deals with network capabilities, country risks, role models for plants, the interaction of lean management and digitalisation, and quality management. A particular focus is on practice-oriented solutions for increasing the competitiveness of international production systems.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli has a broad teaching portfolio covering both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. His teaching activities span all levels from Bachelor's to Master's and PhD level. At the University of St.Gallen, he is responsible for lectures such as Operational Excellence, Production Management, Industry 4.0, Business Excellence and Management of Industrial Companies. Since 2004, he has also been involved in methods training as part of the doctoral courses in technology management.
In the continuing education sector, Prof. Dr Thomas Friedli has been a principal lecturer in the MBA and EMBA HSG programmes, with many years of experience in the operations management modules. In addition, he developed and is responsible for his own Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in production management, which specifically prepares managers for the current challenges of industrial value creation.
More articles from the same category
Discover our special topics