About the Founder:  François Knuchel

François Knuchel draws on a wealth of experience as an intercultural management consultant, curriculum designer and workshop facilitator, embracing over 20 years’ experience working with international executives, managers and directors. He spent a good part of his life working with Japanese multinationals in technology transfer projects (e.g. automotive transplants), in a diverse range of industries like cars, steel, electronics, insurance and pharmaceuticals in Japan.

François specializes in cross-border communications, interdisciplinary collaboration and holistic management. He is also expert in Japanese & Asian leadership styles (team consensus) and in participatory management tools like TQC, TPM, Kaizen etc. These are only possible in a culture that empowers people synergistically and brings out the best of all staff across a whole organization.

François was born in the U.K., educated in England, Switzerland and Canada, he studied linguistics and history in Basel, and graduated in Communications with Great Distinction from McGill University in Montreal. In an interdisciplinary spirit he also studied architecture at the ETH in Zurich, and Spanish at UBC in Vancouver. He is a dual national (English and Swiss) and apart from English speaks German, French and Japanese.

François has been active as a communication coach, corporate language consultant and intercultural trainer, specializing in interactive accelerated learning techniques. He also has extensive experience in sales and marketing, SME strategy consulting and interim management, espousing a Total Customer Satisfaction approach and ‘pan-organizational marketing’. François has held various managerial positions, from Personnel Manager, Branch Manager, Executive Director (board) to Regional Sales Director for Asia-Pacific of an UK specialist engineering company.

François brings an Asian perspective to Transcultural Synergy. As an intercultural trainer he is a member of SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training And Research). He enjoys travel, is an avid reader and drums as a hobby. His personal mission is to develop a Philosophy of Peace and contribute to a more democratic approach to the way we run our organisations and the future we collectively create.