Certified VSM Trainers
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.
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.
No trainings scheduled
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.