About

Double Loop

Welcome to Double Loop.

Based on more than 450 years of experience in B2B Commercial Excellence — especially in chemical and ingredient industries — we help our customers strengthen their value creation, value communication, value selling, and value capture.

Four simple convictions that guide everything we do.

We think and act Double Loop:

Value creation, value communication, Value Selling, and value capture don’t happen in silos. You can’t win with customers (External Loop) if your “engine room” — R&D, Technology, Production, Supply Chain (Internal Loop) — isn’t aligned, customer-centric, and fully connected to the market-facing parts of your business.

We break the silos to get and keep both loops in sync.
That’s what we call Double Loop.

It’s all about people:

Commercial excellence doesn’t happen to people — it happens with them. Your people are the biggest lever for differentiation, growth, and commercial success.

We energize them, support them, challenge them, and equip them. 

Because, at the end of the day: Business is people.
And value is created by the people who live it.

Culture eats everything:

Strategy for breakfast. Marketing & Sales excellence for lunch. And “best practices” for dessert.

That’s why we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all concepts or silver bullets. Tools, methods, and frameworks only work when they fit your culture, your realities, your pace, your markets, your customers.

If you want something to grow, you need to understand the soil.

So we adapt everything — always — to your unique business environment. No copy-paste. No generic playbooks. Just what works for you.

Partnership and trust matter:

We don’t do quick wins at your expense. We build long-term partnerships because trust pays real dividends.

Trust needs honesty. Honesty needs transparency.
And both need people who show up without ego and without corporate theater.

That’s us.

Experienced. Down-to-earth. Working with you at eye level.

And that’s why we do it like Dudes:

Straightforward. Practical. Hands-on. 
No fluff. No drama. No consultant circus.
Just people who care about making things work — across both loops.

Based on decades of experience in the chemical industry and other manufacturing B2B sectors.

Welcome to Double Loop. 
Welcome to the Dudes.

Our Partner Network

Meet the Dudes who make Double Loop work

We’ve brought together a team of experienced practitioners — all with deep roots in the chemical industry and B2B manufacturing. Not theorists. Not slide-deck junior consultants.  Real people with real commercial experience: Marketing & Sales and Commercial Excellence experts, pricing pros, business strategists, and seasoned sales leaders — and yes, even a few personal coaches in the mix.

These are the Dudes who roll up their sleeves, challenge assumptions, and make things work across both loops. 

If you want to join our network, reach out.
And just to be clear: we’d be especially happy to welcome more Dudettes.

get in touch if you want to join our team

Chemical & Ingredients industry veteran with 30+ years in B2B Marketing, Pricing, Sales Excellence, Sales Enablement, KAM & Value Selling.

MBTI® certified.

Down-to-earth, allergic to bullshit, hands-on and obsessed with turning methods into impact.

In his private life:

Outside of work he’s a husband,
dad of three, Savate kickboxer,
Deep House DJ on Mixcloud,
and devoted cigar aficionado.
When he’s not throwing kicks or mixing beats, you’ll catch him in the gym or hiking through nature.

Just in case you want to try out his
Deep House Mixes …

Your link to Ralf’s Deep House vibes

Dr. Ralf Schmidt

Founder Dude
 

Industrial B2B Marketing & Sales Excellence expert with more than 30 years of experience –
based in Germany

15+ years of B2B Sales & Marketing in the chemical world — all in for commercial excellence and value-based selling that actually lands. Led a major commercial
excellence program for a
€2.5B global company and drove 20+ transformation projects across EMEA, AMER & APAC. A true thought leader in value selling — without the buzzword bingo.

In his private life:

Married and father of two daughters. Loves bouldering
and cooking — two
hobbies that couldn’t be more different, but both require creativity, focus, and good taste

Dr. Steve Laborda

value selling Dude 
 

A true thought leader and hardcore value-selling and commercial excellence evangelist — minus the buzzword bingo

Achim is a true global Dude: 30 years in multinational nutrition ingredients and chemical companies, shaping businesses from Hong Kong, London, and Singapore. His superpowers include Product Management, Pricing, M&A Integration, and Sales Excellence — with a strong focus on Human and Animal Nutrition. His golden rule: sell the price — don’t sell by price.

In his private life:

Happily married, proud dad
of two grown-up kids,
and always on the move — running, hiking, or diving into new cultures.

(Jo)Achim Ziska

Pricing & Business Development Dude

Three decades in multinational nutrition & chemical corporations — and committed to selling the price instead of selling by price.

30 years in chemical industry leadership — from supply chain to sales to global key accounts. He’s all-in on the Challenger mindset
and on the idea that
top performers never stop
training. A certified sales trainer, a coach, and an innovation award winner for building a groundbreaking online learning platform for soft skills and product knowledge.

In his private life:

Husband, father,
grandfather, motorbike lover,
chess player — and constantly inspired by his grandkids’ fearless drive to learn new things.

Peter Kuntz

Game of Sales Dude
 

Three decades in chemical industry management and a certified sales trainer who believes in Challenger Selling and never stopping learning.

Judith is our operational backbone — the organizer who keeps chaos away from everyone else and makes the Double Loop machine run smoothly. She pulls the strings, handles the
details, and makes sure
nothing slips through the cracks.
With her English Studies background, she also polishes workshop materials and presentations until they’re client-ready.

In her private life:

Off-duty she’s a mum of two ,
which doesn’t
leave much free time…
unless there’s a book or series good enough to justify losing sleep.

Judith Pieper

Back Office Dudette
 

The glue, the engine, the backstage hero — Judith makes Double Loop work.
 

Marketing, Sales, Branding, and Communications expert with 25+ years in global chemical, packaging, food, and furniture businesses.
Hands-on, pragmatic, and always
at eye level, he has led
international teams, restructurings, and post-merger integrations. His Silicon Valley experience fuels his passion for new ways of working and a fresh leadership mindset.

In his private life:

Father of three,
camper-travel Dude,
DJ, guitarist, and music lover —
living in Vienna.

Jens Zimmermann

International Marketing & Sales Dude

Global Marketing & Sales veteran, transformation driver, and Silicon-Valley-fueled Dude with a hands-on mindset

Polycarp is a global sales leader with 30+ years across Asia, Europe, and the US — including 16 years in China and 7 in India.His superpower? People. He energizes teams,
builds trust across cultures,
and turns human strengths into commercial results. A true multicultural motivator who helps teams create and capture value together.

In his private life:

Married, father of two
adult kids, passionate cook,
and always up for meeting
interesting people.

Dr. Polycarp Ho Soo Heng

APAC Marketing & Sales Dude

A multicultural sales Dude who energizes teams and turns people power into results.
 

With 25+ years in global roles at chemical multinationals — from Strategy to Sales Excellence to Pricing — he’s a true international operator. A South African
now 14 years in Singapore,
he thrives on cross-cultural collaboration and enabling teams to drive real value creation.

In his private life:

Husband, father,
traveler, walker, and
fan of stand-up comedy and movies.

Jay Naidu

M&S Excellence & Value Creation Dude

South-Africa–educated and Singapore-based value creator powering cross-cultural sales and marketing teams.
 

“You can’t change the wind, but you can trim the sail.” With 25+ years in executive roles across three continents, Ulf has shaped global businesses through strategy, growth, and innovation. As VP
Business Management and
VP Global Procurement at BASF, he understands value from both sides. His strengths: Sustainability & Value Selling, Pricing, KAM, and Purchasing.

In his private life:

In private life Ulf is a
kiteboarder, foodie,
wine lover, and traveler
— and combining all three is his
personal nirvana.

Dr. Ulf Neidlein

Sustainability & Pricing Dude

From Business Management to Global Procurement — a value-driven leader who knows every angle of the deal.

With a mix of consulting expertise and almost 20 years in global B2B marketing roles in the chemical industry, he drives real execution
in Sales & Marketing
Effectiveness, Pricing,
Product Management, NPD, and KAM. He turns plans into momentum — and momentum into results.

In his private life:

Off duty, he’s a husband, dad
of two boys, and dedicated
sportsman who cycles, skis, and thrives outdoors. Based near London.

Richard Cawthorpe

M&S Excellence Dude
 

Execution-driven B2B marketing expert with deep chemical industry and consulting experience.

20+ years in international consumer goods leadership with strengths in global business development, cross-cultural management, and
Marketing & Sales.
Certified business coach with a passion for systemic development, visual communication, and modern online collaboration.

In his private life:

At home in Vienna —
happily married, father
of two adult daughters,
lover of Art Nouveau and mountains.

Christof Sauke

International Business Dude

International business Dude blending strategy, coaching, and cross-cultural leadership.

After 40+ years in global chemical multinationals, Lee is a hands-on Sales & Marketing Excellence Dude with strong expertise in Key Accounts, pricing &
profitability, product line
rationalization, and M&A execution. Known for his humor and engaging style, he’s worked across regions but calls Atlanta home.

In his private life:

Privately he’s a devoted
family man and proud
grandpa, music lover,
bourbon fan, cook, koi-pond keeper,
and tireless volunteer.

Lee Sampson

Specialty Chemicals Dude
 

40 years, all regions, big impact — a hands-on sales and pricing Dude with humor and heart.

ICF-certified coach, fluent in six languages, Cas turns multicultural complexity into commercial clarity. With 20+ years in water treatment (Kemira, Nalco) and strong Value Selling & Pricing expertise, he supports business development, Sales & Marketing, and cross-cultural teamwork. He pairs global experience with a human coaching touch.

In his private life:

Based near Lisbon,
he’s a proud father,
traveler, and passionate cook
— especially when it comes to
authentic Italian cuisine.

Casimiro da Silva Santos

Commercial Business Coach Dude

ICF-certified coach and multicultural value creator with global experience and Lisbon spirit.

With 8+ years in top-tier consulting and 15 years in senior roles at global process-industry players, he brings deep expertise in Strategy,
M&A, Marketing & Sales
Excellence, transformation,
cost reduction, and carve-outs — with a strong chemical industry focus.

In his private life:

Privately, he recharges
by running, travelling,
and enjoying the opera.

Dr. Oliver Arendt

International Strategy and M&S Dude

The strategy-and-transformation Dude who turns complexity into traction.
 

Lukas brings 30+ years in chemistry and biotechnology, including 15 years with full P&L responsibility. He’s a turnaround specialist who fixes tricky situations
through innovation,
challenging assumptions, and asking the questions others overlook. His approach creates growth even when markets run against you.

In his private life:

Lukas is a married father of
four, driven by curiosity —
inspired by culture, music,
cooking, and new perspectives.

Dr. Lukas von Hippel

Change and Innovation Dude

The turnaround Dude: new perspectives, bold questions, real results.

Full-stack developer with a rare superpower in tech: he actually thinks like a user. With experience from
requirements engineering
to implementation and DevOps,
he solves problems before most people notice them — some say he radiates a bug-fixing aura.

In his private life:

Happily married,
dad, nerd, series junky,
pug owner.

Simon Kern (on the left :-))

Digital & IT Dude
 

IT, full-stack, zero drama, maximum solutions
 

Nearly three decades in the chemical world and 20+ years deep in Marketing & Sales — that’s Zhengjia. Commercial excellence, product management, sales, account management? He’s done it, lived it, delivered it.
MBA in Marketing, engineer by training, based in Ningbo.

In his private life:

Husband, dad,
table-tennis swinger,
book lover — and the
magic cube doesn’t stand a chance.

Zhengjia Liu

M&S China Dude
 

From Marketing to Sales to Commercial Excellence — nearly three decades of making things work.

25+ years in Marketing, Business Development, Product Development, Pricing, and Sales Development — Dana’s the innovator,
challenger, and digital
marketing Dude who refuses to do “business as usual.” And who pushes ideas — and organizations — forward. Based in New Jersey.

In his private life:

Off duty? Married,
two adult kids,
happiest in the garden or
behind a camera — and tolerates
more exercise than he’d like.

Dana C. Autenrieth

Senior US Marketing Dude
 

Innovator. Challenger. Driving growth with ideas that don’t play by the old rules.

With 25+ years in Sales and Business Development across Asia — and 14 years in GM, operations, and business planning, including a decade in China —
James knows how to
build business across cultures and
borders. A long-time Sales professional, he’s a firm believer in value-added selling.

In his private life:

Husband, dad,
stand-up comedy fan,
badminton & golf Dude,
reader, and coffee-catch-up enthusiast.

James Wong

Asia Sales & Business Development Dude

Cross-border sales expertise with a decade of China insight — all built on value-added selling.

A clinical and business psychologist with nearly a decade in organizational development and as a psychotherapist, he brings sharp analytical skills and a talent
for spotting what others miss. An MBTI®-certified coach, he loves finding the real issues under the surface.

In his private life:

After work, you’ll
find him behind
a camera, on a stage,
on a bike, up a mountain,
in a canoe, on a trail — or underwater.

Till Böcker

Psychology Dude
 

The psychologist who uncovers what really drives organizations.
 

Our global network keeps growing — and we’re always open to experienced B2B Marketing & Sales pros with real experience and a down-to-earth, hands-on
attitude who are allergic
to bullshit bingo and silo management. If you bring real industrial experience, a practical mindset, and the spirit of a true Dude, we’d love to talk.

And to be very clear:

We’d love more Dudettes.
Commercial excellence
needs more women —
and so do we.

MORE TO COME!

You wanna join?

Hands-on, down-to-earth, and allergic to buzzwords — that’s the vibe.

Our history

1998 

As team steffenhagen we started in 1998 with Professor Hartwig Steffenhagen and Ralf Schmidt as two of the four founders as a spin-off of the chair of marketing at the RWTH Aachen University, held by Professor Steffenhagen.

We started offering market research and marketing consultancy services to a wide range of different industries.

2005

Following a strategic review in 2005 we focused our consultancy services 100% on the chemical industry by expanding our “traditional” BASF business to other big and medium sized chemical companies.

At the same time we started developing a strong psychological background, which also brought us into organizational development and leadership topics.

2012

In 2012 we carved out our marketing research services into a separate and independent business.

As team steffenhagen consulting we onboarded our chief psychologist Olaf Lange as a partner and managing director, to build even stronger on the morphological psychology. And from the chemical sector we broadened our reach into many other B2B manufacturing industries following personal recommendations.

2014

After inventing the Double Loop principle for Marketing & Sales Excellence, we first published an article on Double Loop Account Management: “Account Management 2.0: From Silo Thinking to Integrated Account Development“, in the Journal of Business Chemistry 2014, 11 (2).

This was followed by BASF and LONZA reporting on the success of our Double Loop Account Management projects at various Marketing & Sales conferences for the chemical industry.

2020

COVID-19 brought serious disruption to our exciting development. After receiving awards as one of the best Marketing & Pricing consultancies in Germany, but two difficult years in our organizational development business, the corona virus became a driver for change: U nder the sole leadership of Ralf, we took the crisis as a chance

– to reposition our business,

– to sharpen our profile,

– to focus it even more on value creation, value communication, value selling and value capture through pricing, and 

– to digitalize our marketing & sales support, including our digital sales enablement platforms, online training and coaching and blended learning formats.

We are looking forward to supporting our customers in the chemical industry and other B2B manufacturing businesses in their value creation and capture.


2022/23

After our successful restart as Double Loop, we expanded our business — in people, regions, and capabilities.

We were thrilled to welcome Polycarp to the team. Before becoming a Dude, he was VP APAC at Kemira and Director Sales at Omya. With 16+ years of experience in China and now based in Singapore, he supports our fast-growing missions in Southeast Asia.

We also welcomed Jens, who has supported us in our Marketing & Sales trainings at BASF and other Double Loop missions. He brings experience from Marketing, Sales & Strategy roles at BASF, Flint Group and others — plus years as a lecturer, coach, trainer… and even music manager and label owner. He is based in Vienna.

At the end of 2022, we onboarded two more experienced Dudes:
Achim Ziska, who has held senior roles in Product Management, Pricing, Business Development, Innovation and Commercialization at BASF, Doehler Group, and Tate & Lyle in Germany, London, and Singapore — and who has known Ralf for over 20 years.
And Peter Kuntz, certified sales trainer and coach, with 20+ years at BASF and most recently at Sun Chemical before joining us in 2023.

Today, our Dudes are based in Europe, APAC and the US. More to come, as we hope.

2024/25

2024 was tough for many of our customers — and 2025 got even worse. All the more reason for us to stay humble, knowing how quickly times can turn.
But yes: we’re happy. We grew in 2024 and are growing even more in 2025. We won exciting new customers like SABIC, LANXESS and others, expanded our work across EMEA, Asia and the US, and pushed forward topics like AI-based Value Selling & Value Quantification, Selling Sustainability, and GenAI for Sales.

And our team kept growing.
We onboarded Jay, South African and based in Singapore, with 25+ years in global commercial roles at chemical multinationals including Huntsman.
 Lukas joined with 30+ years in chemistry and biotech — including 15+ years P&L responsibility — strengthening our change and innovation power.
Lee , with 40 years of experience at Kemira and others, adds deep Sales & Marketing Excellence, Key Account and team-building expertise.
Cas, certified coach (ICF & ActionCOACH) and ex-Kemira/Nalco, boosts our leadership and team coaching capabilities.
And Ulf, former BASF VP for Business Management and Global Procurement with 25+ years across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, supports us — availability permitting — while serving as CPO at a global chemical company.

We’re excited about what’s ahead, plan to expand further into APAC — and we stay grounded.
(Spoiler: our team will likely keep growing in 2026.)

Our peopl e and our attitude make one thing happen: your teams create, sell, and capture value together — and stop giving margins away for free.

Get in touch!

If you want to know more about us and our services, contact us. We would be pleased to make your loops spin, to create additional value for you and your customers. And to make sure that you capture the value with your pricing.

get in touch