Aligning value with values
Ethics strategy consulting for decision makers in tech and finance.
At the intersection of technology, society and the environment, companies are often confronted with ethical questions.
The challenge is to find credible answers to these questions without losing sight of business reality.
That’s my job.
Services
Consulting, speaking, teaching
I help decision-makers in tech and finance to align their business strategy with ethics. I offer orientation in the thicket of opportunities and risks and translate complex issues into a language geared to the target group. By doing so, I strengthen the credibility and the trust between organizations and their stakeholders.
I empower my clients to be perceived as credible and effective actors in ethical issues in their core business.
Consulting
I empower my clients to be perceived as credible and effective actors in ethical issues in their core business.
Speaking
My authentic and inspiring speeches create value for events with very different target groups.
Teaching
My many years of experience as a lecturer at various levels of education qualifies me as a (guest) speaker at universities and other educational institutions.
Impact
Presence on
all channels
As a sought-after expert, I am regularly invited for interviews, web shows and podcasts. From Swiss television to ELLE Singapore, from the e-commerce conference of Swiss Post to the UNESCO Forum: I have a global and multimedia presence. In addition, I also write my own articles.
Below you see a selection of interviews, podcasts, web shows and my own articles on all my topics. Make your choice with the hashtags. You can find the complete overview here.
- #all
- #aiethics
- #esg
- #csr
Podcasts – my thoughts on ethics on air
Hosts from all over the world invite me to share my thoughts on ethics, artificial intelligence, data protection, sustainability or my personal career. Podcasts are a great opportunity to present my views and convictions in a structured and understandable manner. Every single one of these conversations has been an eye-opener for myself as well.
AI and democracy – a complicated relationship
Johannes Castner asked me about my opinion on the intersection between AI and democracy. In a nutshell, I’d say: “Keep the two apart from each other.”
Big Tech and AI ethicists — a reciprocal duty to engage?
If we have a choice: do we want to have Big Tech at the table when discussing regulation, or do we want them to lobby behind closed doors? I argue for the latter. We have a duty to engage.
Cryptocurrencies and ESG? Mission impossible
Cryptocurrencies are booming; many of them are based on extremely energy-intensive mining processes. At the same time, we are under pressure to drastically reduce global emissions consumption, keyword ESG. These two trends are not compatible.
“No one likes to talk about ethics. I show that talking about ethics can be fun”
Here is how I developed from a primary school feminist protesting against handicraft lessons for girls, to a rebellious anticapitalist teenager in high school, to a bored business administration student in the 1990ies, into who I am today.
“The EU regulation on AI makes ethics affordable”
What does the EU draft regulation on AI mean for companies? Will they see it as a burden or do they embrace it as meaningful guidance? I was invited to a short podcast on my views on these matters.
On teaching AI & ethics
The Montreal AI Ethics Institute interviewed me, along with my ForHumanity colleagues Merve Hickok and Ryan Carrier, about our thoughts on teaching AI and ethics. I recommend keeping AI ethics as applied as possible and inspiring people to think about what that means for their own work experience.
Privacy violations create irreversible damage. There is no compensation scheme for data leaks.
In the year 2021, after countless shitstorms about privacy violations, after Cambridge Analytica, at the same time as people leave Whatsapp because they disagree with their new privacy, Clubhouse comes to Europe with a business model that disregards any legal and ethical considerations, and they are successful.
Is there business ethics in Clubhouse?
What can AI ethics learn from business ethics? What’s the ethics of Clubhouse, if any? Is the Robinhood app undermining free will? And how can tech companies create an ethical business culture? Listen to my thoughts in this interview.
Rainwater Harvesting in Bangladesh
In 2017 I visited various NGO projects in Bangladesh and India in my role at the time as a board member of the Buchi Foundation. Upon return to Switzerland I wrote a piece on one of the projects together with Md Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal, who was field coordinator of HELVETAS at the time. The…
Getting to the root of food waste in bananas
The food waste of bananas created by consumers is only the tip of the iceberg. Even more waste is created at the farm level, where up to 40% of bananas are put to waste. The high percentage of waste at farm level puts an additional strain on the cost/income ratio of farmers.
TedX Zürich: «AI – freedom within, freedom without»
AI frees us from having to solve complex problems ourselves, but does it also deprive us of the ability to think for ourselves? In my TedX speech I reflect on the ambiguous role AI plays for our freedom. Due to the pandemic, my speech was recorded in a huge, empty, pitch-black TV studio in Zurich.…
Podcasts – my thoughts on ethics on air
Hosts from all over the world invite me to share my thoughts on ethics, artificial intelligence, data protection, sustainability or my personal career. Podcasts are a great opportunity to present my views and convictions in a structured and understandable manner. Every single one of these conversations has been an eye-opener for myself as well.
AI and democracy – a complicated relationship
Johannes Castner asked me about my opinion on the intersection between AI and democracy. In a nutshell, I’d say: “Keep the two apart from each other.”
Big Tech and AI ethicists — a reciprocal duty to engage?
If we have a choice: do we want to have Big Tech at the table when discussing regulation, or do we want them to lobby behind closed doors? I argue for the latter. We have a duty to engage.
“The EU regulation on AI makes ethics affordable”
What does the EU draft regulation on AI mean for companies? Will they see it as a burden or do they embrace it as meaningful guidance? I was invited to a short podcast on my views on these matters.
On teaching AI & ethics
The Montreal AI Ethics Institute interviewed me, along with my ForHumanity colleagues Merve Hickok and Ryan Carrier, about our thoughts on teaching AI and ethics. I recommend keeping AI ethics as applied as possible and inspiring people to think about what that means for their own work experience.
Privacy violations create irreversible damage. There is no compensation scheme for data leaks.
In the year 2021, after countless shitstorms about privacy violations, after Cambridge Analytica, at the same time as people leave Whatsapp because they disagree with their new privacy, Clubhouse comes to Europe with a business model that disregards any legal and ethical considerations, and they are successful.
Podcasts – my thoughts on ethics on air
Hosts from all over the world invite me to share my thoughts on ethics, artificial intelligence, data protection, sustainability or my personal career. Podcasts are a great opportunity to present my views and convictions in a structured and understandable manner. Every single one of these conversations has been an eye-opener for myself as well.
Cryptocurrencies and ESG? Mission impossible
Cryptocurrencies are booming; many of them are based on extremely energy-intensive mining processes. At the same time, we are under pressure to drastically reduce global emissions consumption, keyword ESG. These two trends are not compatible.
Robinhood: democratized finance on shaky ground
More than 900 years after the heroic figure Robin Hood set out to steal from the rich and give to the poor, two American entrepreneurs borrowed his name to establish a fintech company that claims to “democratize finance for all”. But the new Robinhood’s claim of ‘democracy’ is on shaky ground. Just as the company…
Pension funds, climate change and the value of future pensions
Climate youth have a long-term horizon – they have that in common with pension funds. Anyone who invests in companies that promote climate change is wilfully depreciating the value of pensions.
ESG in pension funds needs reflection, passion and a mission
As a regular listener at panel discussions on ESG, I became aware that institutional investors often lack reflection, passion and mission on the topic of ESG. IPE.com wrote an article about this.
Podcasts – my thoughts on ethics on air
Hosts from all over the world invite me to share my thoughts on ethics, artificial intelligence, data protection, sustainability or my personal career. Podcasts are a great opportunity to present my views and convictions in a structured and understandable manner. Every single one of these conversations has been an eye-opener for myself as well.
Cryptocurrencies and ESG? Mission impossible
Cryptocurrencies are booming; many of them are based on extremely energy-intensive mining processes. At the same time, we are under pressure to drastically reduce global emissions consumption, keyword ESG. These two trends are not compatible.
“No one likes to talk about ethics. I show that talking about ethics can be fun”
Here is how I developed from a primary school feminist protesting against handicraft lessons for girls, to a rebellious anticapitalist teenager in high school, to a bored business administration student in the 1990ies, into who I am today.
Is there business ethics in Clubhouse?
What can AI ethics learn from business ethics? What’s the ethics of Clubhouse, if any? Is the Robinhood app undermining free will? And how can tech companies create an ethical business culture? Listen to my thoughts in this interview.
Rainwater Harvesting in Bangladesh
In 2017 I visited various NGO projects in Bangladesh and India in my role at the time as a board member of the Buchi Foundation. Upon return to Switzerland I wrote a piece on one of the projects together with Md Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal, who was field coordinator of HELVETAS at the time. The…
Getting to the root of food waste in bananas
The food waste of bananas created by consumers is only the tip of the iceberg. Even more waste is created at the farm level, where up to 40% of bananas are put to waste. The high percentage of waste at farm level puts an additional strain on the cost/income ratio of farmers.
Approach
My clients choose me because I make ethics tangible and understandable. They appreciate my ability to get to the heart of complex issues and my commitment to meeting their specific needs in every case.
I do not offer standardized solutions. I work out what is right and creates value for you and your stakeholders.
Independent
As a 1-person company, Baur Consulting has transparent structures and no vested interests.
Competent
I combine analytical rigour, academically trained, and conceptual strength with strong communication skills. This enables me to present the results of my work in a comprehensible and convincing manner.
Personal
I deal with your mandates single-handedly, with strong commitment and I engage in regular personal exchange.
Topics
ESG & Sustainable Finance
Value strategy for players in the financial industry. Advising investors and other actors in the financial industry on sustainable investments.
Artificial Intelligence & Ethics
Advising companies on integrating ethics in the design, promotion and deployment of new technologies.
CSR & Sustainability
Advising companies to make CSR and sustainability credible elements of their business model.
About me
Dr. Dorothea Baur
Dorothea Baur is a consultant, international expert, speaker and lecturer with many years of experience and excellent qualifications. She puts her finger on sore points, identifies blind spots and shows how ethics can be credibly and effectively integrated into business. She impresses with authenticity and the courage to engage in controversy. She gets to the heart of things. Dorothea Baur has a solid academic background with a PhD from the University of St. Gallen as well as research and teaching experience at leading European business schools.