Philipp Burchartz – Co-Founder and member of TCGBS leadership group
Philipp Burchartz, LL.M., Dipl. Kfm., is an experienced financial services leader with over a decade of international experience in the global insurance industry. A native German speaker originally from Düsseldorf, he is fluent in Spanish and English, possessing profound business and cultural acumen honed through his academic and professional experiences in Germany, Mexico, and the United States. He offers a unique business and cultural insight to the Twin Cities Germanic Business Society, underpinned by expertise in financial analysis, complex transactions, strategic planning, and execution.
His distinguished career includes roles in Corporate Strategy, Strategic Finance, Solvency II, the CFO Office, and Accounting at Allianz Life Insurance of North America, Allianz SE, and ARAG SE. Since 2022, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Germanic American Institute and was appointed treasurer of their executive committee in 2024. He earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Banking and Finance Law from the University of London, United Kingdom, and his graduate degree in Business Administration (Diplom Kaufmann) with a focus on Corporate Finance, Corporate Development, and Energy Economics from the University of Cologne, Germany.
Michael Groebner – Co-Founder and member of TCGBS leadership group
Michael Groebner, MBA, Dipl. Ing. is a German-native, U.S.-based global operations executive and Operating Partner with over 20 years of experience in industrial and regulated manufacturing across Germany, the U.S., Europe, the UAE, and China. Fluent in German and English, with basic French and Spanish, he offers a unique Germanic/U.S. business perspective to the Twin Cities Germanic Business Society, grounded in disciplined execution and pragmatic leadership. His expertise includes operations improvements, organizational development, and portfolio transformation, with roles such as SVP OPEX and interim COO at LSG, Global COO at Moveero, and leadership positions at Turck Group, IMI Norgren, Smith+Nephew, and Elster. He supports Germanic companies' onshoring in the U.S. through various entry models.
Michael serves on the Board of the Germanic American Institute (GAI) and advises on value creation, platform development, M&A, and exit readiness. Michael holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Rosenheim and an MBA from Lancaster University and the London School of Economics. He further enhanced his professional development by undertaking advanced leadership, organizational design, and other specialized courses from institutions of higher education such as Harvard, MIT, and others.