Axel Baisch is the Managing Director of the Hertie School in Berlin. He served as Chancellor of HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management from 2011 until 2017 and he teaches leadership, governance and management of cultural institutions at the University of Zurich and at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He has held various positions in the field of opera management, including Managing Director of Deutsche Oper Berlin (2006 – 2011), Deputy General Director of the Berlin Opera Foundation, Intendant of the International Gluck Opera Festival (since 2014) and Managing Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg (1999 – 2005). Baisch studied law and history of art in Kiel and Freiburg, and he holds a Dr. jur. from the University of Freiburg. He also holds an Executive MBA from Birmingham Business School in the UK.