Tim S. Tabrizi
Keynote Speaker for Leadership and Collaboration
From the boardroom to the stage – and back: Insights from the day-to-day leadership of a Group CEO. Human in tone, clear in substance.
Group CEO of infoteam Software AG – 28 years of professional experience, including over 20 years in management positions in medical technology, telecommunications and software
350+ keynotes in 17 countries
Best Speaker Awards: BME Symposium 2017 · OptiBuy 2021
Booked by DAX companies and international SMEs
How good leadership shows in everyday work
Responsibility is assigned in advance – not after the fact.
A decision without a deadline is not a decision.
Punish mistakes and they are not reported less often – only later.
Clarity is a form of respect – not its opposite.
Culture is shaped by what is tolerated – not by what is put on posters.
Leadership that only works upwards doesn't work.
Why a Group CEO talks about leadership
I am not a professional speaker. The day after a keynote, I am back in the same meetings as your executives: incomplete information, conflicting objectives, limited time.
That is the difference that matters. I do not explain leadership from observation but from practice. Over 20 years of leadership responsibility in medical technology, telecommunications and software – today as Group CEO of infoteam Software AG.
Your participants notice what follows from this within the first few minutes: I know the objections before they arise. The question “And how is that supposed to work here?” is not an interruption – it is where the real conversation begins.
That is why you get a talk not about leadership, but from leadership. How that path unfolded is described on the page about my career, from service manager to the Executive Board.
See how I speak before you book
Leadership is hard to explain if you do not practise it yourself.
My core topic: Accountability and decision-making culture
In most companies, it is clear what needs to be done. What is unclear is who decides – and what happens if the decision turns out to be wrong.
That's precisely where I come in. Accountability doesn't mean naming someone responsible after the fact. It means clarifying beforehand who decides, who advises, and who is informed. This clarification takes one hour and saves half a year.
The second part is more uncomfortable: dealing with bad decisions. An organisation that silently corrects mistakes learns nothing. One that punishes them will soon stop making any decisions at all.
The path in between is the work of leadership – not a matter for the corporate culture brochure.
Around this core topic, I also speak about artificial intelligence as a tool in everyday leadership, about change and resistance in transformation projects and about resilience in times of lasting uncertainty.
Most blockages arise not from a lack of knowledge but from unclear responsibilities.
Three engagements, three questions
The same topic plays out very differently from one organisation to the next. Three examples:
- Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen – Decision-making culture in matrix organisations. When three superiors have a say, in the end nobody decides. The keynote shows how decision rights can be clearly divided without abolishing the matrix.
- Kuraray Europe – Accountability in intercultural teams. Responsibility is understood differently in Tokyo, Hattersheim and Singapore. The keynote shows how to recognise the difference before it turns into conflict.
- Porsche – Leadership under pressure to change. How to lead a team through a change you don't fully believe in yet.
In addition: leadership conferences at Henkel and engagements for SAP, Volkswagen, T-Systems and DEVK. I give about a third of my keynotes in English – including in Japan, Singapore, Dubai and the USA.
“His experience in management and leadership opened up new perspectives for us.” – Thomas Ruther, Managing Director, Pertzold
What your leaders will take away
No concept that would need to be introduced. Instead, four things that will work the following Monday:
- A language for responsibility, one that holds up in the next meeting: who decides, who advises, who is informed.
- A way of dealing with bad decisions, one that neither covers up nor punishes.
- Two or three uncomfortable questions, which they will ask themselves the day after.
- The realisation that others are in the same position. Saying that openly has more impact than any model.
My goal is simple: that your leaders decide differently the next day.
Leadership is lonelier than most people admit.
Occasions I am booked for
Leadership conferences – as the opening, or as the close that brings together the results of the day. Strategy and annual kick-off events, when a decision on direction has to be conveyed that not everyone supports straight away. Management conferences and specialist conferences. Change processes after a merger, a reorganisation or a new leadership structure. And, on request, digital or hybrid.
Typical length: 45 to 60 minutes, 90 minutes on request with audience participation.
Booking a keynote: how we work together
Preparation. Before every keynote, I invest several hours in research: I read your annual reports, talk to your contacts and analyse the challenges of your industry.
On stage. My keynotes are not one-way lectures. I work with targeted questions, live reflections and moments in which the audience becomes active itself.
Afterwards. Upon request, you will receive follow-up materials, handouts, or an in-depth workshop for your team.
The first step is a 15-minute call, free of charge and without obligation. In it, we clarify whether my topic fits your event – and if it does not, I will tell you. Full details on the booking process and terms.
“His positive way of dealing actively with mistakes encouraged our team to be more open.” – Michael Lehmann, Team Leader, T-Systems
Answers to your most frequently asked questions:
What does a keynote with you cost?
A keynote with me costs between €5,000 and €9,000, depending on duration, preparation and travel. After a short call, you receive an individual quote – transparent and without hidden costs.
How long is a keynote?
Typically 45–60 minutes. On request, also as a 90-minute session with interactive elements or as a half-day workshop for greater depth.
Do you also speak in English?
Yes, I give about a third of my keynotes in English – among others for Siemens in Japan, for international teams at Kuraray and at events in Dubai and Singapore.
How do you prepare for my event?
I talk to your team in advance, analyse your industry and develop content that is a perfect fit for your audience. Every keynote is unique.
Can we talk before I book?
Of course. A 15-minute introductory call is free of charge and without obligation. It lets us clarify whether my topic fits your event.
Tim S. TabriziKeynote speaker, Group CEO & executive coach.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn