Judith Wallenstein

Business adviser, Concerned citizen, Explorer, Foodie, Global soul, Idea generator, Parent, World traveler

I grew up in the Bavarian countryside, spending a childhood with books, hiking and kayaking, hitchhiking through Greece with my parents and sister and exploring remote rivers in the U.S. I went on to study History, Linguistics and French Literature with a goal to become a diplomat. Fortunately I had a clear moment during graduate school realizing that this was not my cup of tea. Beyond Russian structuralism, I had always been fascinated by science and medicine - hence I joined BCG and specialized in health care. 17 years later, this is what I still do. I took a break from client service for a year to research the dynamics of the breakdown of trust in different industries and its impact on their license to operate - shortly before the banking crisis hit. I am passionate about oncology and rare disease. I also serve as the European Director of BCG's Henderson Institute, our Think Tank and research organization to advance ideas from all fields and bring them to the world of business. And I am part of our TED-BCG partnership team, which I thoroughly enjoy.

The ideas that interest me most. Traveling to the world's mountainous regions and their inhabitants. And a few very special people - they know who they are.

See 'talk to me about'

Economics of trust, Health Care, History, Sharing Economy

I discovered TED at Berlin's TED Salon a couple of years ago. Rose Goslinga on 'Insuring the Rain' has deeply impressed me and turned me into a TED addict - long before I discovered Nicolas Negroponte's 'A 30 years history of the future' talk.

Crossing Mongolia without any car repair skills