Konrad Gritschneder
My name is Konrad Gritschneder. I was born and ra ised in Mönchengladbach, a city in western Germany. I lived there until I graduated from high school, except for some time spent in Canada at boarding school. After completing the Master in Applied Economics at IE University, I joined ARCHIMED, a France-based private equity fund, as a junior analyst.
I am a very open person, always looking for new experiences and ways to face new challenges and adventures. First and foremost, I’m driven by the desire to build an interesting and unique life and constantly try to surround myself with amazing, inspiring people.
"You will be hard-pressed to find another place that combines amazing education with a fun lifestyle as well as IE University does."
A Life Full Of Meaning
An exciting life filled with adventures is what Konrad Gritschneder envisions for himself—and he’s determined to follow his passions. Thankfully for him, his interests and career aspirations have always gone hand-in-hand throughout his life.
From a very young age, Konrad kept several pets and found that he had a strong desire to care for animals. As he grew older, this willingness to help developed further into caring for people, inspiring him to participate in various charitable activities. It, in turn, sparked his innate entrepreneurial ability and his mission since then has been to apply his skills in business ventures that help people and enable them to have a better life.
Konrad’s career began with an internship at a large, publicly traded company in the Netherlands; he worked as an assistant to the company’s CEO and CFO. This not only gave him insights into corporate finance and investor relations, it also helped him make valuable professional connections. He then took up another internship, this time at an investment bank in Frankfurt, where he gained experience in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions.
However, Konrad wanted to focus on something closer to his heart. He soon joined a social startup that leveraged innovative technologies to clean the ocean while encouraging companies to account for their plastic footprint. This role combined his two passions—finance and social entrepreneurship—and led him to the Master in Applied Economics.
The first thing that attracted Konrad to IE University was its impeccable reputation, particularly its unique master’s degree offerings. Through various events he participated in before joining the program, he noticed the university’s amazing atmosphere, which he says felt like “a huge family.” Additionally, he was attracted to Madrid as a great city for young people to live in.
More importantly for Konrad, he chose IE University because its inherent entrepreneurial spirit supported his passion for business. Within two months of arriving in Madrid, he was instrumental in founding two startups, which he was able to do thanks to the support he received through the Venture Lab and the university’s wider global network.
After graduating with his Master in Applied Economics, Konrad quickly found a role at the private equity fund ARCHIMED, based in Lyon, France. As a junior analyst, he’s involved in every step of the M&A process for the fund’s targeted deals and company acquisitions. He also helps manage their portfolio companies and existing investments.
Konrad credits IE University for helping shape him both personally and professionally. He notes, “It was particularly useful to have professors with such immense real-life experience!” Konrad calls himself “a great fan of IE University” and he plans to participate in upcoming IE Alumni panels to share his experiences with other students.
Additionally, Konrad appreciated the connections that he made through IE University. While still a student, the IE Talent & Careers department helped him network and find competitive job opportunities. And when he started at ARCHIMED, he was surprised to find fellow IE Alumni already working there. These links made it easier for him to settle in and feel comfortable quickly.
Konrad’s advice to prospective students is that studying at IE University “can only improve your life.” He recommends that anyone considering the Master in Applied Economics should have a keen interest in current affairs, as students work on the real-world issues that make the news. He now looks back fondly on his time at IE University, seeing it as a fun yet transformative period of his life.
