Bernd is a true “baby boomer,” born several years after the War. He enjoyed a “freestyle” education and spent his youth during the frivolous and sultry Sixties. After his schooling, he felt any further schooling would be a waste of time, as he was more into self-development. He worked for some time in his father's company, but after a generational conflict started his own enterprise. His company was in the jewelry and watch sector, and it steadily developed into a global success.

All the while, he traveled over the entire globe – not only for professional reasons, but also for sheer pleasure. Racing and adventure appealed to him, and he was once selected as a spare finalist for the Camel Trophy – only to be left behind at the airport as no longer required! And he had undergone all the special training meant for Trophy participants! The disappointment was enormous, but Bernd's reaction to it was typical: “If I am not allowed to come along, I'll organize it myself!” He had in the meantime met an adventurous Catalan, and out of the blue they began to organize adventure trips together, at first for the private market and eventually for large multinationals. If you were to ask him then his profession, he would have replied “adventurer”; if you then were to ask him what he meant by that, he would have responded “My hobby, which damn well seems to have turned into hard work!” The motto of their company was “Adventure for sure, but safe,” and they had great success with companies such as Yamaha, Nissan, Phillip Morris, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Suzuki, etc. Bernd took people to places others could only dream of, but it was merely part of his “work” . . . as one example, together with his Catalan business partner he took an off-road motorbike trip of 6,000 km through the Amazon jungle. On the way he encountered places where the people had never even heard of a motorcycle, let alone seen one.

Further in his business career, there followed several successful investments and partnerships, such as with Fir-Tex.

Of course, Bernd has also suffered private and business disappointments. His first marriage broke up, for example, and he lost very dear friends. His idea for a solar- and wind-powered passenger ship (SolarSailor) was far ahead of its time, so that this company found itself in a financial fiasco. He imported the first Segways into the Netherlands, but while trying to introduce this futuristic vehicle he stumbled over the outdated traffic regulations and the Dutch civil service. In spite of this, he eventually got the Segway legalized, and his unbridled enthusiasm and creativity were instrumental in being able to do so. The unbridgeable gap that turned up between Segway on the one hand and Bernd's organization on the other has ensured that the Segway is doomed to a marginal existence in the Netherlands.

This has done nothing to lessen his cheerful character, of course, or his powers of positivity and perseverance as he continues to go from success to success. These days there is more of an urge to slow down, yet he still feels the drive to help others with his infallible intuition, his business know-how, his empathy and especially his (life) experience, from which he is able to benefit from a global network of unprecedented extent.

His positive side: Curious, communicative, analytical, extroverted but also certainly discreet, sociable, helpful, trustworthy, empathetic, open, honest, good-humored, cheerful, humorous, creative, positive, and solution-productive.

His negative side: Stubborn, sometimes determined to run his head through the wall (and so in character a good Taurus), (self-) critical, sometimes too impatient, defiant, dominant, sometimes too blunt. His most negative side is that he thinks he hardly has any negative side.

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