Rüdiger von Stengel (IESE AMP-13) is a co-founder and shareholder of Art-Invest Real Estate Management, as well as a dedicated IESE donor. His support of MBA scholarships is testament to his deep generosity and firm belief in the transformative power of education.
When Rüdiger von Stengel (AMP-13) was a 14-year-old schoolboy, his teacher gave the class a life-defining assignment: to reflect on their core educational objectives with input from their parents. Having recently lost his father, he turned to his mother for guidance. Her advice was simple yet profound: “First, do everything with love. Second, embrace humility.”
While he immediately understood the importance of love, it took him several years to fully appreciate the need for humility. Eventually, he would add a third guiding principle: trust in God.
Since then, the intertwining threads of love, humility and faith touch every aspect of his life, from his family and career to his philanthropic work in global education.
Humility and leadership
Rüdiger joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) soon after earning degrees in economics from Bonn University and Indiana University-Bloomington. As a new BCG hire, his mother’s words on humility took on new meaning.
“Suddenly, I was giving advice to people much older and more experienced than me, and realized that humility and a 360-degree approach would be key to excel in this competitive environment,” he explains.
“I had to be humble enough to listen to different perspectives and learn from everyone, not just my colleagues and higher-ups, but from my team members, professional contacts and family.”
A new venture and learning journey
After a decade in consulting and seven years in real estate, Rüdiger embarked on a new adventure in 2010, when he co-founded Art-Invest Real Estate Management with two partners. From the beginning, they viewed continuous education as a cornerstone of their success.
“I had heard very positive things about the Advanced Management Program, but was leading a young company with limited resources,” he shares. “Both my partner and I were able to participate after receiving financial aid from IESE. I decided then and there to one day pay it forward.”
Their IESE experience and its ethical, people-centric approach proved instrumental, helping shape Art-Invest’s core values, culture and leadership, with respect and integrity at its core.
Five years after its creation, Art-Invest ranked as Germany’s top commercial real estate developer. Today, the company operates 10 global branches, employs 300 people and manages $12.5 billion in real estate assets.
A life built on faith
Rüdiger and his wife, Nataly, are the proud parents of three children and two grandchildren. Their interest in Catholicism took root following the birth of their third child, when Nataly spent time in a Franciscan sanatorium to recover. Her conversations with the Head Sister would prove life-changing, allowing her to open her heart and find Jesus within herself.
Her transformation inspired Rüdiger to learn more about the faith. Together they watched the televised funeral proceedings of Pope John Paul II, both concurring, “We’re in the presence of a saint.” Later that same year, they attended Pope Benedict XVI’s gathering in Cologne, an immensely spiritual experience for both of them.
Moved by these encounters with Jesus and their regular interactions with their local parish, they joined the Catholic Church in their late 30s.
Making a positive difference
In 2014, Rüdiger established the Spe Salvi Foundation, one of the many ways he strives to make a difference.
“Spe Salvi means ‘saved by faith’ in Latin,” he says. “With the success of my company, I feel an obligation to give back and drive positive social change beyond my professional sphere.”
The Foundation supports a broad spectrum of educational initiatives to help people identify their unique talents and use them for the common good. Among its projects are a secondary school in Uganda; a school in Cologne, Germany, where approximately 25% of the children are neurodivergent or physically disabled; and the establishment of two Catholic kindergartens.
The Foundation also helped establish a secondary school in Cologne based on the teachings of the global “Leader in Me” Organization, dedicated to helping schools and districts nurture leadership and life skills among students and staff. With 6,000 schools in its network, it is expanding its footprint in Germany with the help of Spe Salvi.
Building bridges for IESE talent
As invaluable IESE ambassador, Rüdiger shares the school’s ethical, people-centered approach to leadership and emphasis on education as levers for positive change.
By supporting IESE scholarships, he seeks to serve as a Brückenbauer (bridge builder), Ermöglicher (enabler) and Mutmacher (trust giver) for tomorrow’s leaders, especially MBA students from economically disadvantaged countries and circumstances.
“The world faces complex, far-reaching challenges and we need to do everything possible to find solutions where we are falling short. By providing financial resources for MBA students, I sincerely hope they embrace this purpose-driven perspective and aspire to do good, wherever they go and whatever they do.”
Leaving a legacy
While he continues to serve on Art-Invest’s supervisory board, Rüdiger left its operational management in 2019. The firm’s essential atmosphere of trust and respect remains intact even though he no longer forms part of its day-to-day operations, which is a tremendous source of pride for him.
Outside his business interests, Rüdiger plans to continue leading and promoting global educational initiatives: “There are countless ways to make the world a better place. That’s what I hope my legacy will be: helping to make the world a bit better through my faith in God and trust that a small mustard seed can grow into a beautiful tree.”