Who is
Olaf Hauer?
a life in 5 countries, as well as his own approach to people & business development.
- 6Countries of business experience
- 16,5Years with BMW
- 40Years of working with executives
From Team Development to Mature Personalities
- Formulating TopicsYou will discover areas for growth and untapped potential that you may not even be aware of. We will also identify "disruptive factors" — inner blockages such as irrational beliefs that inhibit your development.
- Mastering the "How"You will learn how to apply, develop, and fully utilize your capabilities & skills, and how to transform inner blockages into a constructive force.
- Behavioral TrainingYou practice new behaviors until they become ingrained skills – a natural part of your behavioral repertoire. In this process, thought patterns and emotional reactions also change profoundly and permanently.
- Agility and MaturityYou learn to flexibly adapt your behavior to specific situations, your goals, and the people you are interacting with. The result: greater self-awareness, psychological maturity, and authenticity.
5 Countries, 4 Eras, 1 Philosophy
During my time at high school (Gymnasium), I decided to study psychology in the USSR. From 1981 to 1986, I studied at the Faculty of Psychology at Leningrad State University and graduated with a diploma in social psychology.
From 1981 to 1986, I studied at the Faculty of Psychology at Leningrad State University. My experience of living in Leningrad was almost the exact opposite of my expectations: empty store shelves, gloomy faces on the streets, in the dormitory — modest furniture and dark-green walls.
Turning Point: Towards the end of my third year of studies, I made peace with the circumstances and accepted them as they were. From that moment on, life became easier, and my progress in Russian also increased noticeably
In November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell – the end of the socialist era and the beginning of capitalism. My son was born in 1991. This raised the pressing question: What should I do in this new reality when my employment contract with the university expires?
The Twist of Fate that Changed Everything: My East German Wartburg car was breaking down more and more frequently. The owner of a local garage – a passionate BMW enthusiast – offered me the chance to buy a used BMW on credit. This unexpected event opened my eyes to a path I hadn't even considered before!
The key insight from this period: the power of a brand opens doors – but it is the maturity of the managers and the systematic nature of the business processes that convince customers to stay in the long term.
My work began directly "on the front lines": I taught salespeople to overcome their fear of rejection and to present themselves confidently – both professionally and personally. Ultimately, I developed self-learning systems and was responsible for cross-cultural transformations on a national scale.
This formative chapter of my life is divided into 4 logical phases, each of which added a crucial element to my methodology:
Sales Training
1992-1995I conducted comprehensive sales training programs consisting of 3 parts, including a two-day field training focusing on cold contacts.
During those years, I conducted around 600 cold contacts together with the salespeople I trained. Their biggest fear was being thrown out "in disgrace" as uninvited guests. But that only happened once – and even then, in a very mild way.
A polite demeanor, backed by a well-known brand that evokes positive associations, opens almost every door. This is especially true when a person identifies with this brand and internalizes its appeal.
During this time, I realized that BMW placed great emphasis on expanding its customer base through cold contacts, while systematic follow-up with existing and potential customers was virtually non-existent.
By 1995, I was fed up with sales training – the tangible results were disproportionate to the effort. At the same time, I clearly saw a way out: I decided to develop a medium-term program focused on introducing systematic work with the customer base and gradually expanding it.
Proprietary Program for Customer Base Expansion and Loyalty Increase
1995-2000I developed and led a 7-month program to implement systematic customer base management and to specifically increase customer loyalty.
In the first year of implementation, I worked with 6 relatively small car dealerships. I was able to demonstrate that together they sold 107 more vehicles than would have been possible without my program.
Each of the dealerships exceeded its annual target set by BMW by 15-20%! The tools I developed enabled precise sales forecasting as well as in-depth analysis and gradual exploitation of the market potential in the respective area of responsibility of the dealership.
After 3 years with my own program, I increasingly felt how routine was restricting me — and this routine gradually turned into boredom, even inner rejection. I had proven everything: sales figures were rising, customer loyalty was growing, I had trained colleagues, and BMW employees were seeking my advice. And then what? I wanted something different!
I wanted to join a team that had been carrying out a long-term, comprehensive car dealership development project called "QMA" since 1997. However, all my attempts to get involved were unsuccessful. In mid-2000, I decided to leave BMW at the end of 2000 and begin an MBA program in Barcelona in 2001.
In the summer of 2000 I went to Malta - 3 weeks of vacation, combined with an intensive English course to prepare for my MBA studies. Exactly 2 days before my departure, BMW called and offered me a position in the very project I had been trying unsuccessfully to join for a year and a half...
Complex Development of BMW Dealerships
2001-2005I became a coach in the QMA program (Quality Management in Auto Dealership). For over 4 years, I led comprehensive projects for the systematic development of BMW dealerships – with durations ranging from 15 months (Phase 1) to 3 years (Phases 1 + 2).
The work affected every department. We mapped out all recurring workflows in flowcharts – around 115 in total! We established a systematic approach to customer relationship management to increase customer loyalty. Also, we sharpened the focus of internal employee management.
We improved management and leadership - starting with vision and mission as well as strategic goals, filtered through the BMW brand values and their influence on the behavior of all managers and employees, up to the setting of specific annual targets for each individual department and their gradual achievement.
To measure the efficiency of our project work, as well as the overall performance of each department and the company as a whole, we used a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
We developed and established an internal audit system to verify the effectiveness of the implemented workflows within and between departments. At each dealership, we formed a team of internal auditors – loyal, rational, and objective employees. These internal auditors received specialized training at the BMW Training Center in Munich. The core idea: to transform the dealerships into self-learning systems.
International BMW Master Coach in China: The Biggest Challenge
2005-2009From February 2005 to January 2009, I conducted similar projects in China, where the program was called RSM (Retail Startup Management). I was one of two International BMW Master Coaches.
In addition to carrying out the projects in BMW dealerships across China, I was responsible for training my Chinese colleagues to independently manage such complex and long-term projects – a task that proved to be far more demanding than expected.
By mid-2007, we had accumulated a critical mass of experience. Under my leadership, my Chinese colleagues and I completely adapted the entire RSM program (700 A4 pages!). We restructured the sequence of content delivery and the implementation approach, reducing the project duration from 24 to 18 months. Furthermore, we developed tools and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the progress and results of the RSM projects.
In addition, I was regularly invited by colleagues from various BBA departments (BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.) to moderate cross-departmental meetings on critical topics – such as the introduction of new software systems.
As a farewell gift to BBA, I designed an Assessment Center to select suitable Chinese candidates for the RSM coach position. This was based on a comprehensive competency profile that I created for this role, supplemented by a template for an individual development plan.
During the 4 years I lived and worked in China, I was constantly confronted with my own internal stereotypes – about other cultures, nations, and what is considered "right", "good", or "acceptable". Intellectually, I could understand the attitudes, actions, and decisions of my Chinese colleagues – but accepting them with my heart was extremely difficult for me.
My time in China was probably the toughest test of my willingness and ability to truly accept what is "different" – different values, priorities, behaviors, tastes, manners, and a completely different attitude towards concepts like "truth" and "love".
"In China there is no love, no friendship – only family!" a respected colleague from Germany told me in 2006. Later, several of my Chinese acquaintances confirmed the meaning of this statement...
Eventually, I had to decide: stay in China, return to Germany, or start over in Russia? China was out of the question – its culture still didn't resonate with me. Germany was a non-starter – I'd been away too long, and Merkel as Chancellor, I was simply hard to appreciate.
I chose Russia: I spoke the language, and the culture felt familiar. In October 2010, I founded the team iNTG together with Ludmila Murgulets (Russia) and Paul Bourne (England). iNTG stands for "irresistible Nuts To Go". Behind this name lies a different story...
The goal was to change the everyday behavior of managers and employees so that it truly reflected the 2 aforementioned company values. This was intended to increase the efficiency of workflows, particularly between departments.
Result: 530 managers and employees (out of a total of ~3,700) were involved in the project, which ran in 4 phases of 3 months each. I had specifically designed an algorithm that included various elements, including:
- recurring events for all project participants;
- weekly meetings of all working groups with a predetermined content and procedure;
- individual coaching.
We refined the algorithm developed in the Rosatom project into the methodology "LOCI" (Loops Of Change Implementation). It is designed to purposefully develop teams and their members to achieve specific business objectives. We also developed the online tracker iNTG101 to monitor the results of this work.
A book as a Relief: In early 2024, we published the book "EPIC Communication: Your Key to Constructive Interaction and Personal Development". I finally had to "unload" the knowledge and experience I had accumulated over 40 years in various countries. Writing this book has truly made my life easier!
In 2017, my son graduated from university – he was 26 and standing firmly on his own two feet. At that time, I felt increasingly uncomfortable in Germany, especially in Berlin: the face of the country had noticeably changed since 2015 due to Merkel's open borders policy.
Putting down new roots: Taking all these factors into account, I made the decision to move to Russia and put down roots here. In 2020, I received my temporary residence permit and in 2023, my permanent residence permit. I will soon apply for Russian citizenship.
A lifelong bond of love: In 2021, I met my future wife in Russia, and in 2023 we got married.
