Dr. D
I became the unlikely founder of Thinkergy because I had the courage to explore who I really am and what I really should do with my life other than being a proficient, but dispassionate corporate banker. I got the answer to my questions in a consciousness-expanding moment of personal enlightenment. My “Eureka” happened on Chinese New Year’s Day 2003, the dawn of the Year of the Black Sheep.
So, I started my new creative life with the resolve to be the best black sheep I can be in a world full of conformist white “sheeple”. In 2005, I founded Thinkergy, and ever since we’ve been on mission to create more innovators in Asia, the world and beyond.
Dr. Detlef Reis (aka “Dr. D”) is the Founder and Chief Creator of Thinkergy and a global thought leader in creative leadership and business creativity. Known as the “Creator of Wow,” he energizes creative leaders and their teams with breakthrough know-how to drive the Sixth Wave of Technology Innovation. He created Thinkergy’s four proprietary innovation methods: X-IDEA, Genius Journey, TIPS and CooL – Creativity UnLimited. For two decades, Dr. D and Thinkergy have delivered over a hundred innovation training and project workshops for clients such as BMW, Nestlé, UBS and Mead Johnson.
Dr. D is the author of Unleashing Wow! The Creative Leader’s Guide to Breakthrough Innovation and more than 25 academic publications. His paper “X-IDEA: The Structured Magic of Systematic Innovation” won the Best Paper on Practical Implications for Technology Award at the ISPIM Asia-Pacific Innovation Forum 2014 in Singapore. For many years, he wrote the column “Creativity Un-Ltd.” in the business section of the Bangkok Post, and he continues to share his ideas on the Thinkergy blog. He is a sought-after keynote speaker on creativity, innovation and creative leadership.
He teaches business creativity, innovation management and creative leadership at master’s and Ph.D. levels. At Bangkok University’s Institute for Knowledge & Innovation South-East Asia (IKI-SEA), he serves as Senior Innovation Advisor & Creativity Catalyst, teaches in the MBA-i program and supervises PhD-KIM doctoral students. Over the years, he has also taught at Hong Kong Baptist University’s School of Business, Mahidol University’s College of Management and SASIN School of Management.
Before founding Thinkergy in 2005, Dr. D worked for Deutsche Bank for more than 16 years, in Germany, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong, where he was a Vice President in the Global Banking Division. He holds a doctorate (magna cum laude) in international management from Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany.
Why “Dr. D”? Read the story behind the name in Becoming Dr. D of Thinkergy.
To learn more about Dr. D’s keynotes, services and publications, visit his personal website: drdetlefreis.com
What may surprise you about me?
In my early 20s, I not only began working in banking, but also became a competitive middle distance runner and a part-time DJ. I loved the energy and intensity of it all. But, it nearly killed me. Fortunately, my running coach asked me to make a choice. So I did. Pretty soon, I started to win regional championships in Southwestern Germany, and later even qualified to compete in prestigious international competitions (though sadly not the absolute top ones). Nowadays, I still reserve time for sports (running, weights training, Vinyasa Yoga) almost every day. Why? I often get my best ideas while “sweating it out” — and WOW ideas are the currency of the 21st century.