March 9, 2026 · Media Releases
HWZ restructures department and consolidates executive education
HWZ is refining the profile of its Department of Management & Leadership. From May 2026, the department will be known as Strategic Management & Leadership and will be headed by Dr. Frithjof Müller. At the same time, HWZ is strengthening its executive education and will in future manage this independently.
With the realignment of the former Department of Management & Leadership, HWZ is purposefully developing its profile further. Under the new name Strategic Management & Leadership, existing programmes are being refined and new formats are being established.
This step represents a clear shift in focus – from management to strategic leadership. Today, strategic foresight is required rather than purely operational control. The integration of strategy and leadership, along with the strengthening of strategic decision-making capabilities, is now central.
New Head of Department for Strategic Management & Leadership
From May 2026, Dr. Frithjof Müller, a leader with proven expertise in strategic management and organisational development, will take over as head of the newly named department. He brings many years of experience in teaching, research and professional practice, and will further develop the department’s profile. The new head of department is looking forward to his new role:
Leadership today involves more than operational management. It requires strategic vision and a clear, long-term positioning. At the Department of Strategic Management & Leadership, we aim to further strengthen and develop this combination of strategy and leadership with a focus on the future.
Executive education is being consolidated
As part of its strategic realignment, HWZ is consolidating its executive education into an independent division, which is now being structurally established with clearly defined responsibilities. The division will be led by Peter Statz, deputy rector and former head of the Department of Management & Leadership, as well as Dr. Meike Wiemann-Hügler as deputy head.
With this step, HWZ positions itself as the first university of applied sciences in Switzerland to operate an independently managed executive school. While similar structures are already established at Swiss universities, HWZ is thus creating new organisational clarity within the university of applied sciences sector.
The aim of this new area is to support the strategic development of experienced and aspiring leaders with entrepreneurial responsibility, and to transfer academic excellence into the practice of corporate management.
About the new head of department: Dr. Frithjof Müller
Dr. Frithjof Müller is an occupational and organisational psychologist who obtained his doctorate (Dr. sc. ETH) at ETH Zurich, specialising in health-oriented organisational development. He studied occupational and organisational psychology at the University of Konstanz and is also undertaking further training in the field of higher and professional education.
Since 2015, he has been a lecturer at the ZHAW School of Management and Law, teaching at bachelor’s, master’s and executive level, with a focus on leadership and human capital management, among other subjects. His research and consultancy work centres on strategic leadership, organisational development, transformation, and leadership across a wide range of ecosystems – from start-ups to established large enterprises.
Professional roles at Malik Management, the University of Konstanz, and in corporate development complement his academic work. Dr. Frithjof Müller is a regular speaker at specialist conferences and a keynote speaker on leadership topics.
