About

René Bohnsack, portrait

I am Full Professor of Strategy and Innovation at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Visiting Professor at the University of St. Gallen and co-founder of Zero to 100 and Augmtd.

My book, The AI Strategy Playbook: From Zero to 100, was published by Routledge on 1 September 2026. The 2026 Stanford and Elsevier ranking places me among the top 1% most-cited scientists.

I design and teach AI leadership programs and have trained more than 5,000 executives at more than 30 organizations in over 10 countries. I am Academic Director of The Lisbon MBA, and in 2018 I gave a TEDx talk on business model patterns.

Research

  • 40+ peer-reviewed publications cited more than 8,000 times
  • Research grants of more than €2.2 million
  • Best Paper Award, Academy of Management ONE Division (2019)
  • Reimagine Education Award, Wharton and QS (2018)
Google Scholar profile

Recent research presentations

  • 7 to 10 Jun 2026, GRONEN 2026, Esade Business School, Barcelona: Artificial Intelligence and the twin transition: the good, the bad, and the ugly

    Read the paper
  • Jul 2025, 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management: Twin Innovation: Unpacking the Interplay of Green and Digital Innovation

Teaching and leadership roles

  • Full Professor, Católica Lisbon (since 2025)
  • Academic Director, The Lisbon MBA (since 2021)
  • Director, Galp Chair for Innovation and Systemic Impact (since 2023)
  • Founding director, Digital+Sustainable Innovation Lab (since 2016)
  • Visiting Professor, University of St. Gallen (since 2022)
  • International Faculty Fellow, MIT Sloan (2018)

Ventures

Alongside research and teaching, I build companies. I have co-founded ventures in digital health, digital events and AI, and exited two of them, including Fitbase, a digital health company acquired by Hansefit in 2020. Today I am co-founder of Zero to 100 and Augmtd.

My Journey

From entrepreneur to academic leader, each milestone has shaped my unique perspective on innovation and transformation.

2007

MLitt, University of St Andrews

2009

Co-founds an online flight-claims service

2010

Leader of Tomorrow, St. Gallen Symposium

2011

Sells the flight-claims service, first exit

2013

PhD, University of Amsterdam

2014

Co-founds Fitbase, a digital health company in Germany

2015

Professor of Strategy and Innovation, Católica Lisbon

2016

Founds the Digital+Sustainable Innovation Lab, Católica Lisbon

2018

TEDx talk (TEDxCatólicaLisbonSBE); International Faculty Fellow, MIT Sloan; Reimagine Education Award, Wharton and QS

2019

Associate Professor with tenure; co-founds a digital events platform; Best Paper Award, Academy of Management ONE Division

2020

Hansefit acquires Fitbase, second exit

2021

Academic Director, The Lisbon MBA

2022

Visiting Professor, University of St. Gallen

2023

Director, Galp Chair for Innovation and Systemic Impact

2024

Among the top 2% most-cited scientists (Stanford ranking)

2025

Full Professor, Católica Lisbon; co-founds Zero to 100

2026

The AI Strategy Playbook (Routledge); among the top 1% most-cited scientists (Stanford and Elsevier)