JAN VOM BROCKE - BTA online

PORTRAIT
JAN VOM BROCKE
Director of the Institute of Information Systems and
Hilti Chair of Business Process Management at the
University of Liechtenstein
1. What did you aspire to be when you were a child?
I think I aspired to be happy and to do something of value; I always admired
Médecins Sans Frontières, for example. Today, I am teaching in Ethiopia once
a year, not medical sciences, but Business Process Management.
2. What is/are the highlight(s) of your current role?
Working with fascinating people on innovative ideas around the globe. I’m
also filled with joy when seeing how my students are developing, graduating
and taking over responsibility in important positions in life. This truly is
fascinating and highly motivating for me.
3. In which role do you think you work best?
Working in a team, building bridges, connecting people, and trying to do
things that have not been done before.
4. What was your biggest transformation? What did you learn?
I’d like to think of my life as a major transformation itself. Not only to adapt
to ever changing situations, but also in the sense of an ongoing personal
further development.
What have I learned so far? Maybe that transformation is actually really fun,
in particular once you start embracing it. And of course: the capability to
transform is surely one of the most important capabilities of all.
5. Which countries have you worked in and in which country would you
like to work? Why?
I have worked in Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Estonia, UK, Ethiopia and
others. Singapore and Abu Dhabi would be two of many more fascinating
places to work in.
6. What do you think are the three most important factors for being successful
in life?
Energy, Skills and Focus.
7. From which failure have you learned the most?
Hard to say… I once tried to hide a bad exam of my parents at the age of 12
or so, ... of course without success. Seeing how disappointing this was for my
parents, I decided to be very clear and transparent in the future, also (and in
particular) if bad things might happen.
8. What are the three most important virtues of a superior?
Inspiration, Appreciation, and Responsibility.
9. What qualities do you appreciate most in your employees?
Passion, Excellence and Commitment.
10. In which area did you train yourself recently?
Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

About Jan vom Brocke
Jan vom Brocke is Hilti Chair of Business Process Management (BPM) at the University of Liechtenstein,
Director of the Institute of Information Systems, and President of the Liechtenstein Chapter of the AIS. Jan
has more than ten years of experience in IT and BPM projects and has published more than 170 referred
papers in the proceedings of internationally perceived conferences and established IS journals, including
the Business Process Management Journal (BPMJ), Business & Information Systems Engineering (BISE),
and MIS Quarterly (MISQ). He serves as a reviewer and editor for major IS conferences and journals including
the Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS) and the Journal of Management Information
Systems (JMIS). He is author and co-editor of 16 books, including Springer’s International Handbook
on Business Process Management and the recently published Springer book Green BPM - Towards the
Sustainable Enterprise. His work has been cited over a thousand times in academia, but also in major popular
magazines such as the Financial Times Germany. His BPM research group has been awarded a number
of prizes, including four of his PhD students being elected young research fellows at the Lindau Nobel
Prize Laureates Meeting in Economic Sciences in 2008 and 2011. Apart from Liechtenstein, Jan teaches at
a number of international universities including Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the University of St.
Gallen in Switzerland. He is a demanded speaker and trusted advisor on IT and BPM around the globe.
Contact: jan.vom.brocke[at]uni.li
11. What annoys you most in your daily role? And what do you do about
it?
I am annoyed most when something keeps me from making progress. Good
process management can help a great deal to steadily improve the work
environment.
12. How do you balance between work and life?
I don’t really differentiate much... I try to do the things that are important to
me within the given frame of capacity.
13. What do you consider your biggest virtue? And your biggest vice?
Maybe the biggest virtue is that I am not thinking in terms of my “biggest
virtue”? Positive energy is surely very important; and patience is probably
not my strongest asset.
14. Which personal goals would you still like to achieve?
My wife and I are awaiting a little baby boy. Having a family is definitively
the most exciting personal goal I can think of!