Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Hamburg, Germany.

Where did you go to University ?
After finishing high-school, I moved to Mannheim for my Bachelor studies and thereafter to Stockholm. I did my Master at Stockholm University and the PhD at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University.

What is your main research focus ?
I am working on Household Finance and Macroeconomics. In my research, I try to combine empirical methods with structural models. Over the last two decades, data at the micro level became increasingly available that allows us to study the behavior of households or firms. I use structural models to reconcile the decision-making of households and firms that I observe in the data and to understand the implications of their decisions for economic aggregates, e.g., savings or productivity.

What research are you working on right now that you are really excited about and why ?
In one of my research projects, I document systematic changes in firm-size growth over time. What is causing these changes? What do these trends at the firm level tell us about recent trends in industry concentration, firm entry, and productivity growth? Micro data entails valuable insights about macroeconomic aggregates that I find fascinating to study. 

What languages do you speak ?
German is my mother tongue. Besides that, I speak English and I have picked up enough Swedish during my time in Stockholm that I am proficient.

What do you do in your spare time ?
My favorite activity is exploring the Swiss mountains by bike. I like the combination of physical exhaustion and the reward of a fantastic view.

What is your favorite holiday destination ?
Certainly, Sweden during summertime. The emphasis on summertime is important though. I am happy to spend my winters now in Switzerland instead of Scandinavia.