Three new Associate Professors at MCI

In recognition of their achievements in research and teaching, MCI recently awarded three associate professorships to Manuel Ferdik from the Department of Industrial Engineering & Management, Kristina Kleinlercher from the Department of Business & Management and Raphaela Stadler from the Department of Tourism & Leisure Business. With their impressive backgrounds and future-oriented specializations, they represent innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship at MCI.

Associate Prof. Dr. techn. Manuel Ferdik

After completing his bachelor's degree in mechatronics at Leopold Franzens University (LFU) and UMIT Hall, Manuel Ferdik completed two master's degrees at once: a master's in mechatronics at LFU and UMIT and a master's in industrial engineering at the Entrepreneurial University®. Later followed a doctoral program at LFU in the field of microelectronics and implantable systems.

While working on his dissertation, for which he eventually received the 2019 Science Award from the Tyrolean Economic Chamber, Manuel Ferdik worked as a university assistant at the Institute of Mechatronics at LFU and was instrumental in setting up the department. After graduation, Manuel Ferdik worked as Senior Production System Manager at Swarovski and part-time lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein.

His ties to academia as well as his great interest in teaching and research finally led him to the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Entrepreneurial School® in 2021 as a Senior Lecturer, where he currently devotes himself particularly to the areas of Data Science with a focus on Machine Learning.

"The MCI stands for innovation and entrepreneurship. In these areas, I would like to help regional companies develop innovative solutions, products and processes with my research. In addition, MCI enables me to pass on my knowledge to potential future employees through my work in teaching and, at the same time, to learn from young creative and motivated people myself."

Associate Prof. Dr. Kristina Kleinlercher

Kristina Kleinlercher started her academic career at the University of Innsbruck in international economics with a specialization in marketing. After graduation, she pursued a doctoral program in business administration at the University of St. Gallen.

Then, she worked as a project manager and head of the Competence Center of Omnichannel & Customer Experience Management Competence Center at the Institute of Retail Management at the University of St. Gallen, where marketing and sales consulting for companies as well as project management of practical studies were among her numerous tasks. In her research, teaching and consulting work, she focuses on omni-channel and customer journey management, consumer behavior, and digital marketing communication, among other topics.

Numerous journal publications have followed over the years, including the article "Loyalty formation for different customer journey segments" (2019) published in the Journal of Retailing, which won the 2020 Davidson Award and the 2021 Best Retail and Pricing Paper Award from the American Marketing Association.

She eventually found her way to the Department of Business & Management at MCI in September 2021, first as Senior Lecturer and then as Associate FH Professor for Digital Marketing & Sales: "MCI and the Department of Business & Management are an ideal fit for my research interests, my teaching goals and my interest in practice-oriented topics, and reflect my passion for academic research with high practical relevance."

Associate Prof. MMag. Raphaela Stadler, PhD

After completing her diploma studies in International Business as well as Music Studies at the University of Innsbruck, Raphaela Stadler gained practical experience at numerous national and international events, such as the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music and the Queensland Music Festival.

In the process, she recognized the need for improvement in efficient knowledge management in event organizations, which is why she specialized in this area in her PhD studies at Griffith University in Australia and recently published a book on this topic entitled "Knowledge Management in Event Organizations" (2021).

She shared her expertise in event management over the last years, among others, as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, where she also focused on research projects on "Events and Wellbeing" and developed recommendations for action, which are actively implemented by UK institutions.

Raphaela Stadler has been supporting the Department of Tourism & Leisure Management at the MCI since February 2022: "I am delighted to be able to contribute my international experience here at MCI and to be part of a creative and innovative team. I currently see very interesting and exciting developments in Tyrol as a tourism destination, and it is very important to me to set new accents with my knowledge and competencies from the event sector, both in teaching and in research."