Clara Kulich

I am an excellently trained social and organizational psychologist with a lot of experience and in-depth knowledge on gender and diversity issues, especially in a leadership context. After many years of theoretical work and many presentations to HR practitioners and consultants I want to use my expertise in these fields in order to make a change in the private or non-profit sector. I have the desire to lay hands on the multifold problems around leadership and diversity issues in an endeavour to make the workplace a better place to work, and our planet a better place to live. These are the core principles for my activities.

Next to my professional life I have also been active in my past-time and gained crucial skills which are useful in the organizational context. I am a passionate mountaineer and traveler and have independently organised high-altitude expeditions to 8000m peaks in Himalayan regions, as well as many journeys around the globe.

Throughout my mountaineering-projects I have gained experiences with recruiting climbing partners, marketing, sponsorship, grant applications, communication with the media, logistical and bureaucratic hurdles in Asian countries and the management of groups. Mountaineering expeditions involve extreme physical and psychological situations. In this context, I have learned to manage intra-group conflicts before, during and after the expeditions, I have gained experience in communicating with people from different cultures, and I have been involved in decision-making processes in high risk situations. In addition, I have organised a fund-raising project, have given many public talks on my mountain projects, journeys, and an adventure race. Besides, my expedition partner and I have produced a film on our last expedition.

I am very multinational and culturally-orientated (I have lived and worked in Austria, Australia, UK, USA, France and Switzerland) and enjoy working with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds. At the same time, I am ambitious and progress-orientated and have proven this on many occasions in practical (sports, mountaineering) and theoretical (research, academic) contexts. Commitment to and enthusiasm for my work, honesty and fairness amongst and towards the people I work and live with, as well as a high regard for our environment and nature are key principals for me.

I am known as a very well-rounded person with many interests and abilities, high energy and a deep passion for my activities. People value me for my quick and critical thinking and my determination of getting things efficiently solved and done. Good quality, precise and innovative work, my optimistic but realistic view of problems, my ability to listen and act, and my co-ordinating and managing skills have been praised as well. I have been told by people who I work with and others who listened to my public talks that they very much appreciate my authentic way of sharing my ideas, experiences and my work with them.

IMPORTANT ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
My research has won best-paper awards at several occasions including the Academy of Management Conference, has been published in distinguished business magazines such as Business Week and Forbes and in scientific high-impact peer-reviewed journals such as Strategic Management Journal.
I have planned, organised and carried out my own high-altitude expeditions, summiting Cho Oyu 8201m (Tibet/Nepal) in 2007 and climbing up to the highest point on a so far unsummited route on Nanga Parbat 8125m (Pakistan) in 2008.
I have given a number of public and invited talks on my academic research and on my mountaineering projects. I have presented in German, English and French in organisations, at academic and professional conferences and women’s networks in Europe, Australia, N.Z. and the U.S..
I have initiated fund-raising for young Tibetan refugees in a Nepalese SOS children-village.
I was the winner of the national Austrian Fulda challenge selections (female category) and my team won the international Fulda challenge 2003 (an advent