Sebastian Manhart

“Sebastian was one of the key decision makers who recruited me in Simprints and I had the opportunity to work directly with for quite some time. He was managing me remotely and that was something very new as it was long before covid-19 pandemic. It was the first time for me being managed remotely and Sebastian made is so easy with his support as well as cooperation to enable me to achieve the goals and even more. He was a wonderful manager and he always supported me with the opportunities to grow. He suggested me to apply for Acumen Fellowship which I received eventually. Interestingly, when Simprints started he came to join as an intern and he climbed up all the way to be the CCO within a few years. Under his leadership the Partnership Team saw tremendous growth. He was leading the commercial engine. When I joined Simprints it was just small team of 16 to 18 people and within two years he led it to become 50 persons team. Thanks to Sebastian, his business acumen, marketing and selling skills, key account management, networking, passion, leadership and professionalism led to growth of millions of dollars in the span of just a few years. As the CCO he was the accountable and responsible for the growth of Simprints. And without any doubt he did an amazing job by winning projects in Africa and Asia. He is a master of Spin Selling and he taught the team the most important lessons and led the team to win large projects. I have come to realize that Sebastian is one of the most rounded professionals I came across. He is keen on being thorough, respectful and reliable. The way he managed the team worked very well; the results speak for themselves. He is a natural leader and his leadership style is very open as well as flexible. I have seen him getting the best out of the people by delegating effectively and nurturing them to grow. I have learned a lot of things from him specially regarding the relationship management and engaging development partners. Another thing I must mention is that, he is a wonderful negotiator who brings in fresh perspectives with a charming personality that can disarm opponents. So, if you have a chance to work with Sebastian; just go for it. ”

“Sebastian was my direct manager and subsequently team leader for the two years I spent at Simprints as a member of the Partnerships team. Sebastian has a management style that encourages individuals to take on increasing levels of responsibility and ownership. He ensures that people in his team feel fully supported with the tools and resources they need to excel. Importantly, he is a champion for cultural pillars of trust, vulnerability, and mutual accountability. That all sounds very serious, so I should add that I had a lot of fun working with Sebastian! He has a healthy sense of perspective and self-awareness which motivated me to take on challenges that would have otherwise felt insurmountable. It has been a pleasure to work with Sebastian, and I really hope that we will get to work together again in the future! ”