Why do so many groundbreaking ideas stall before they even get started? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, Dr. Stefan Dietrich, Senior Advisor in Innovation and Digital Transformation, exposes the real obstacles that prevent innovation from thriving inside organizations.
Dr. Dietrich shares his experiences leading digital transformation at Siemens, AXA, and within startups, revealing the cultural and structural hurdles that slow progress. He discusses how middle management—often referred to as “corporate permafrost”—can be one of the biggest roadblocks to change and why the most successful innovators find ways to bypass bureaucracy and go straight to decision-makers.
We also explore the dangers of complacency, the challenge of proving ROI for disruptive ideas, and why companies that resist innovation put themselves at risk of becoming obsolete. Dr. Dietrich shares first hand stories of pushing bold ideas through corporate resistance, including lessons from the early days of mobile transformation and the critical role of data in shaping decision-making.
If you’ve ever struggled to get leadership buy-in, seen your projects get stuck in endless approval cycles, or been asked to put a visionary idea into an Excel spreadsheet, this episode is for you.
Tune in to learn how to navigate corporate innovation, avoid the slow death of great ideas, and build a culture that embraces transformation.
Guest Details:
Name: Dr. Stefan Dietrich
Title: Senior Advisor in Innovation and Digital Transformation
Company: Siemens
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Throughout his career, Dr. Stefan Dietrich has seamlessly transitioned between executive roles in global corporations and leadership positions in innovative startups. He leverages the rapid innovation pace typical of startups to benefit large enterprises while simultaneously applying the organizational insights and structured approaches from his corporate experiences to support startups in achieving success.
In his corporate endeavors, Stefan has designed and implemented several large-scale digital transformation initiatives. In 2021, he relocated to Europe to join Siemens Switzerland in the Smart Infrastructure CTO Office, where he defined and implemented a comprehensive data strategy and accompanying training programs to drive the cultural shift essential for Siemens’ AI initiatives. Earlier in his career, Stefan successfully developed and executed AXA Technology’s digital workplace transformation, providing AXA with a two-year competitive advantage and reducing annual operating expenses by 35%.
In his startup endeavors, Dr. Dietrich has been instrumental in introducing groundbreaking innovations by implementing novel methodologies. Collaborating closely with CEOs and board members, he has redefined business strategies, developed new product requirements, and crafted novel go-to-market strategies. From 2013 to 2018, Dr. Dietrich played a pivotal role in transforming Gluware, a Bay Area startup, to reach a broader market audience by repositioning, rebranding, and relaunching the product. His prior startup experiences include working with renowned economist Nouriel Roubini in NYC to create a pioneering semantic search platform that uncovers unique correlations and insights for economic and market research, recognized as groundbreaking by publications such as Business Week and The Economist.
