Dr Angela Espinosa (Colombia, 1958) has been an international leader in developing the Viable System Model. She worked closely with S Beer and co-founded and led the Metaphorum to develop his legacy when he passed away.
Angela has three decades experience in teaching, coaching, and consulting in the VSM in Europe and Latin-America. She has published extensively on applications and developments of the Viable System Model.
She is an Emeritus Fellow from the Centre for Systems Studies at the University of Hull, Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Exeter University; a Fellow of the British Cybernetics Society; and an Associated Professor in Transylvania Executive Education.
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> Most management concepts were developed with stability in mind. However, we no longer live in stable times. I work with executives, internal change agents, and organizations that are confronted with complexity, multiple crises, and uncertainty—and feel that traditional management, change programs, and agile frameworks are no longer sufficient. My work is based on cybernetics, complexity science, and thinking in terms of sustainable systems—not as a theory, but as a navigation logic for real organizations.
My focus
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- Organizational design for complexity (beyond Agile & Lean)
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- Cybernetics & Viable System Model as practical tools
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- Continuous evolution instead of episodic change
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- Learning as an integral part of work, not as an addition to human resources
What results from this work
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- Strategic sparring for managers and internal coaches
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- Workshops and learning journeys based on real organizational constraints
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- Accompanying tools and an AI-supported assistance program
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Driven by the joy of learning and ongoing development, I am focused on the topics of management, strategy and organisation. My professional experience spans from running a digital agency for 20 years and being a freelancing organisational coach.
I am data-driven and at the same time I love to develop and co-create stories to attract and unite people.
My specialty is my theoretical and practical knowledge of how to use the Viable System Model (VSM). I wrote three books to introduce the model to the German-speaking sphere.
Furthermore, it is the complex field of the “knowledge worker”, which fascinates me. Therefore the works of Stafford Beer, Peter F. Drucker, and Taichi Ohno play an essential role in my “method toolbox”.
Last but not least I assimilate everything about Complexity, Leadership, Lean Product Development, Agility, Innovation, Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, and Human-Centered Design.
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Martin Pfiffner (1965) lives in Switzerland. After studying economics at the University of St. Gallen HSG, he earned his doctorate in systems-oriented management with Prof. Dr. Fredmund Malik (management) and Prof. Dr. Peter Gross (sociology). Later he complemented his education by studying management cybernetics with Prof. Dr. Stafford Beer. He is a Fellow of the Cybernetic Society, FCybS.
From 1990 to 2012, Martin worked as a management consultant for Management Zentrum St. Gallen. He was responsible for the development of managerial cybernetics with a focus on the application development of the Viable System Model, the dissemination of Syntegration in Europe, the establishment of the International Bionics Center IBZ in Munich and the Cwarel-Isaf Institute and its conferences – a predecessor of Metaphorum.
Between 2013 and 2016 he owned a SKEMA martial arts school and was president of the SKEMA association Switzerland. In 2017 together with friends Martin established the Fondation Oroborus in Switzerland with the purpose of disseminating applied management cybernetics.
Today he works as an independent top management consultant, speaker, publisher and researcher. He still practices martial arts and plays the guitar in an alternative-rock band.
No trainings scheduled
Certified VSM Coach & Trainer, Founder and Senior Partner at evitive. Entrepreneur, Board Member, Sparring Partner and Advisor on Transformation and Innovation. He supports entrepreneurs and executives in the integral development of companies, organisations and leadership. Pascal holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, among other qualifications.
More about Pascal: LinkedIn