Ute’s academic training was in architecture at the RWTH Aachen. Later she identified the most valuable competences gained from these studies as the ability to develop complex and integrated concepts and – inspired by the methods of Frederic Vester – systems thinking. In a kind of Studium Generale, Ute used her freedom at university to gain experience in the fields of politics (in the university’s self-administration and students’ parliament and government), journalism, communications, psychology, and creative writing.

In her professional life, she worked in a publishing house as researcher, designer and editor. In the automobile industry, Ute worked as a technical draftswoman and instructor. In 1996, Ute invited Peter to speak at a congress on ecological and economical construction which she was organizing and came across the term „sustainable development“ for the first time. She shared the vision behind this term as well as the approach of linking knowledge and action in order to realize this vision. A few months later, Ute joined Peter’s company – the Clearing-house for Applied Futures – as PR officer.

Beyond PR, her fields of work include conceptualizing and conducting research projects as well as training programmes for various target groups. A special interest lies in developing strategies for projects as well as for companies or institutions, taking into account the target groups and their interests and stakes. This strategic perspective is closely linked to a systemic view on learning and change processes and how to induce and support them. This combination of PR, communications, research, conceptualization, marketing and strategy development, systems thinking, learning and process management is the toolbox for her work as an independent consultant at the interface between research and implementation in sustainability science. It is constantly fuelled by her other interest – wood sculpture – another good example of complexity, creative processes and learning.