Dr. Marcus Gottschalk

Marcus brings a rare combination of engineering precision, coaching depth and entrepreneurial drive to his work. He holds a Professional Doctorate in Coaching and Mentoring from Oxford Brookes University, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin, and studied engineering and business as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Maryland. He is also a trained systemic family therapist, a background that strongly influences his human centred approach to performance.

Having lived and worked in South Africa, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, Marcus brings a genuinely global perspective. He works fluently in both English and German and is comfortable navigating complexity across cultures, systems and organisations.

Marcus joined Inspirational Group following the acquisition of his leadership development business in 2024, initially taking on the role of Managing Director for Europe. From January 2026, he became CEO of Inspirational Performance, a new business unit focused on Human plus AI performance consulting. The ambition is clear: to unite people, data and technology in ways that help organisations understand performance more clearly and improve it more sustainably. Marcus leads the European focus of the business, while working closely with colleagues across the Middle East and beyond.

He describes his career as being shaped by people rather than plans. In particular, four women at different stages of his life helped open doors, challenge assumptions and shape his leadership style. Gratitude, humility and curiosity sit at the core of how he works, alongside a strong bias for action. Marcus is known for turning ideas into impact and for challenging convention when it gets in the way of progress.

At IG, Marcus values the freedom to make things happen. He believes too many organisations reward talking over doing, and he sees IG as a place where trust, autonomy and support allow bold ideas to move quickly. One of his proudest moments so far has been winning one of the largest learning and development contracts in IG’s history, achieved by a small team willing to challenge the expected approach and take a different path.

Outside of work, Marcus lives by three principles: family, finance and fitness. He loves pushing his physical limits and has spent much of his life drawn to movement, adventure and challenge. From skiing, windsurfing and kiteboarding to karate, boxing and judo, he finds energy in both discipline and play. He feels most at home in Cape Town and the UK and describes himself as deeply appreciative of German intelligence, heart and sophistication.

Marcus is inspired by Richard Branson’s willingness to challenge norms and back ideas with action. His favourite quote captures his outlook on life and work:

Life is only boring if you get caught.