Dr. Thomas Schmitt has spent his entire career as an advisor, manager, and investor in the financial services industry after completing his studies in Germany and the US. After being a trainee at Deutsche Bank, he started as a consultant for banking and insurance in the Financial Institutions Group of McKinsey & Co in 1990. In 1996 he became head of marketing for the German business of the Winterthur Insurance Group (a Credit Suisse Group company). In 1999, he became member of the executive board of DBV-Winterthur Versicherungen being in charge of the health insurance business. In 2000, Thomas Schmitt moved on to Winterthur group, becoming member of the executive board of Winterthur Insurance with responsibility for the global health and accident insurance business. He is Managing Partner of Augur Capital since 2003.

Günther P. Skrzypek completed a trainee program at Morgan Guaranty Trust (today J.P. Morgan), after having completed his studies in mathematics and business economics. After various management activities in corporate banking, corporate finance, and institutional sales, in 1988 he accepted the responsibility for the asset management business of JP Morgan for Germany and Central Europe and was appointed to the European management board of JPMIM. In 1997 and 1998 he was responsible for Schroders Investment Management’s asset-management transactions in German speaking Europe as well as Eastern Europe. From 1999 to 2003, as Country Head, he was responsible for the German business of AXA Investment Managers. Besides, as a member of the global executive board he was directly responsible, among others, for AXA IM Netherlands, and institutional transactions in northern Europe. He is Managing Partner of Augur Capital since 2003.