Oliver Schulz

Oliver Schulz is a citizen of the world. As a child, he lived with his parents, who are in the diplomatic service, and his brother in Ethiopia, Turkey, Austria and the Philippines, where he completed his A-levels at an international school. He moved to Aachen for a while to study business administration, and after graduating he worked for the organisation "Doctors Without Borders", where he managed numerous international aid projects. Since 2018, he has headed the Swedish section of the organisation from Stockholm.

You have travelled a lot and lived in the capitals and metropolises of many countries. How did you end up in Aachen?

I have to admit that Aachen was a rather pragmatic choice. My older brother studied electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen, and my parents wanted us to study together in one place so that he could support me a little.
I already knew back then that engineering wasn't for me. So I looked around in the direction of business studies. As the RWTH was too big and too impersonal for me, I decided to study at FH Aachen. And I can say that it was exactly right for me.

What do you remember most about your studies?

Above all, I really liked the practical orientation. And then the commitment of the lecturers. For example, we spent a week in a monastery with Prof Pietschmann and reflected on management and self-management. I'm not even sure whether that was part of the curriculum or simply an additional offer. In any case, without this week it would have taken me much longer to realise what my strengths were and what I wanted to do with them. I later attended a few more leadership seminars, but that week at the monastery was one of the best things I've ever done in this area.

As a general manager, you are responsible for a lot of people and a lot of money. What does leadership mean to you?

For me, leadership firstly means reflecting on who I am and how I can inspire others. It means putting yourself at the service of the team and the cause and keeping an eye on what is needed - and what is not. And, if necessary, you also have to take a step back from time to time. For me, leadership also means learning and growing continuously. You take responsibility and stand up for what you decide and what you do. It's a constant balancing act between the challenges you take on and those you're better off not taking on.

Did you already want to work in an NGO during your studies?
Not necessarily. I worked a lot during my studies because I enjoyed it so much. That's one of the great things about studying. You can try out yourself and many different jobs. Back then, a lot of young IT start-ups were being founded in Aachen and they were looking for student workers. That was great! They were all young people, all in their 20s and full of ideas. There was a great start-up spirit, a very nice working atmosphere. I was able to let off steam as a Student Assistant and gain experience in many areas.
After graduating, I made applications to a few companies and always made it to the final round - but I never got the chance. So I thought about whether I should also go into the diplomatic service? But no, that's too much bureaucracy for me. (laughs)

During my research, I came across Médecins Sans Frontières. And I was lucky, because the organisation was in the process of going global and growing at the time. It was exactly the right time for me to immediately apply my experience and expertise from my studies, because all-rounders and practitioners were in demand.

You have been working for Médecins Sans Frontières since 2004. How did you get to your current position as General Manager?
It was a long road, but I chose it quite deliberately. I graduated from university and had some experience. But what does management mean in a crisis area? How does risk management work? What does it mean to be responsible for the lives and safety of colleagues? That was very appealing, but I wasn't prepared for it.

So instead of applying directly for a middle management position, I started as a logistics administrator in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There I was responsible for all matters relating to driving and freight: I assigned the drivers, took care of wage payments et cetera. And I managed the goods, which is no trivial matter. For example, we receive food for malnourished children from other organisations such as UNICEF, which require strict reporting on what happens to the products. These are huge quantities that I had to manage and distribute. It was very exciting and I got to know the organisation from the ground up.

What happened next?

In the following years, I worked in various countries and took on different tasks there. From 2006 to 2007, for example, before the big earthquake, I was part of the country management team in Haiti as Financial Coordinator. In the Central African Republic, I managed a project in a hospital as Project Coordinator. We treated many tuberculosis patients there, including those with HIV/Aids co-infections, as well as surgical and paediatric patients. And because there was unrest in the neighbouring villages, we often had to deal with the treatment of gunshot and stab wounds. We lived and worked directly with the population there under very basic conditions, but very effectively.

What do you have to bear in mind when the funding is mainly through donations?

Ultimately, everything we do is based on trust. We and our processes are audited extensively, of course, but it's basically about trust. Those who donate want to know where their money is going and how we are using it. When we are in a country, it is basically normal budget planning, but I approach it with a great sense of responsibility.

Apart from management, what else is part of your job?

Diplomacy. Before we start a new project in a country, we often first have to clarify the circumstances as to whether and under what conditions we can work there at all. I then have many discussions and negotiations with the Ministry of Health, the Prime Minister and various groups in order to obtain the authorisations.

Do you clear the way for doctors in crisis areas?

Exactly. I learnt a lot about marketing during my studies and a lot about selling in my jobs. As a manager, I also sell. I sell ideas. Even when I'm negotiating with armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I'm selling. I sell them our principles and our concept of humanitarian space so that we can work there. I wear our T-shirt with our logo and explain to them what it stands for so that we can carry out medical-humanitarian work. Respect for this humanitarian space means being able to do our work without being attacked and that all weapons or uniforms stay out of the military hospital or the hospital. This cannot be taken for granted and it is ultimately a sales pitch to convince people. That's where my business studies helped a lot.

You have been General Manager of the Swedish section since 2018. What do you do in Sweden, a non-crisis country?

Here it's more recruitment, personnel management for our employees who go into the projects, fundraising and communication. Sweden as a country and government is very involved in the work of the UN, which means a lot of lobbying for us together with the Swedish Foreign Office. The work is different from that in the countries of assignment, but also very interesting. I still see the connection to the patients and the medical and humanitarian work. We recently finalised the new strategy for 2022 to 2025, which was a huge project.

How do you develop a strategy and budget planning for an organisation that has to be ready to respond to unannounced crises at any time?

That is indeed interesting. As an organisation, we don't have a single headquarters, and therefore not just one strategy. MSF has five operational centres, all of which are located in Europe - unfortunately, I have to add at this point. This has grown historically, but we are currently in the process of diversifying this and distributing our headquarters and strategy more globally.
My studies have also helped me a lot with strategy development. When I started here three years ago, there was little cooperation between the sections and disciplines. So we looked at what we stand for together in Sweden. What is our common goal, what unites us? That was very exciting, because this approach was totally new. Many people said: Why don't we just write what we want to do and that's that? Instead of taking the easy, familiar route, we have defined three pillars for our work and are reviewing our activities to see to what extent they support these pillars. This strategy process was accompanied by a change process, because many people tended to focus only on their work, their Section. We have turned this perspective around, because now it is about how each and every individual can contribute to achieving the organisation's goals.

To finish, please take a look into the crystal ball: what topics will we be dealing with in 2022?

Not surprisingly, but covid will remain an issue this year and probably longer. And possibly overshadow other, equally important topics. I assume that the main issue this year will be to ensure that vaccines are available everywhere in the world. Vaccination will be the central issue. I don't think it makes much sense to close borders these days, instead we should vaccinate. Because the more people are vaccinated, the fewer mutations there may be. But there will also be other issues. We always try to bring to light the issues that don't make it into the media. Unfortunately, many people always think of Africa when it comes to humanitarian need. But the situation in South and Central America is also precarious. There are also huge migration flows to the north there, and there is great need. We also have projects there, and the number is increasing. Of course, this does not exclude crisis areas such as Afghanistan, Yemen or Syria and there will also be a lot to do in the coming year, certainly also at the moment with a view to Ukraine, where we also have projects.