About Nils Gutsche
Founder & Strategic Advisor

Entrepreneur | Former CEO | Board & Advisory Professional

I advise boards, investors and leadership teams based on more than 25 years of entrepreneurial and executive experience.

I am an entrepreneur and former CEO with more than 25 years of leadership experience across B2B sales, marketing, franchise-based business models, private equity, M&A and the education sector. Over the course of my career, I have built, scaled and transformed organizations, combining operational execution with strategic leadership and governance responsibility.

My professional journey includes the full entrepreneurial lifecycle — from founding and early-stage growth through scaling, organizational development and ultimately a successful private equity exit. As Founder and CEO of brainymotion AG, I held overall responsibility for corporate strategy, sales and marketing, operations, finance and organizational development. Under my leadership, the company achieved sustained growth and was successfully sold to a private equity investor (Aspire Education).

Prior to this, I spent almost two decades building and leading franchise-based education businesses, gaining deep expertise in scalable business models, B2B go-to-market strategies, leadership development and performance-driven sales organizations. This hands-on experience continues to shape my perspective as a board member and advisor today.

I am currently the Founder of NG - NextGen Advisory, where I support companies, investors and leadership teams as an independent board member, advisory board member and strategic sparring partner. My work focuses on strategic decision-making, growth and transformation initiatives, governance topics, commercial due diligence and post-deal value creation — particularly in private equity and investor-led environments.

I work closely with founders, CEOs, management teams and investors, helping them align strategy, execution and governance. My role is not that of a traditional consultant, but that of an experienced entrepreneurial partner who understands both operational realities and investor expectations.

In addition to my entrepreneurial background, I bring an international strategic perspective through my long-standing role as a member of the Microsoft Worldwide Learning Partner Advisory Council (PAC). In this capacity, a small global group advises Microsoft on strategic initiatives and long-term partner ecosystem development.

Today, I focus on selected mandates where experience, judgment and trust matter — supporting boards, investors and leadership teams in navigating complexity, driving sustainable growth and creating long-term value.