Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult.

Michael Backes

Founding Director · Visionary Scientist · Talent Magnet · Technology Strategist · Speaker

Never compromise on excellence. Never.

I work with leaders who share this conviction —and who want to shape what comes next.

Excellence is not an afterthought or a finishing touch. It is the guiding principle and foundational standard applied to every important decision — ideas, people, partners and execution. The moment that standard becomes negotiable, exceptional outcomes become accidental.

Ways to work together Watch my take

01About

Michael Backes against a dark studio wall — © Jennifer Weyland

In brief

Michael Backes is the founding director of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security. He is moreover a professor of TU Munich and of Saarland University.

In his research, Prof. Backes focuses primarily on trustworthy methods for machine learning, on novel approaches for protecting personal data, and on universal solutions for software and system security. His research results have shaped these scientific fields internationally, as is evidenced by over 400 peer-reviewed and highly cited publications in renowned international journals and conference proceedings.

His research has earned him numerous internationally renowned scientific awards and honors, in particular the ERC Synergy Grant, which is Europe's most highly endowed EU group research award.

His research results have regularly been translated into highly innovative applications that have brought him widespread attention beyond the scientific community. In particular, Prof. Backes was the first German to receive the MIT TR35 Award, which recognized him as one of the top 35 researchers and innovators in the world under the age of 35 (across disciplines) whose “accomplishments are poised to have a dramatic impact on the world as we know it”.

Michael Backes is regularly listed in rankings as one of Germany's most important IT personalities. He holds honorary doctorates from the Université de Lorraine and from Leibniz University Hannover, and he is both honorary citizen and future ambassador of the city of St. Ingbert.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF · September 2026)
Academic CV (PDF · September 2026)

02Six beliefs

01
Never compromise on excellence. Never.
Excellence is lost piece by piece — through compromises that feel reasonable, pressure to conform and consensus chosen over the best outcome. Protect the standard in every important decision: ideas, people, partners and execution.
02
I’m not interested in standard organizations. I’m interested in organizations built for breakthroughs.
Standard organizations optimize what already exists. Breakthrough organizations create the ambition, freedom and intensity to attract outstanding people — and enable them to create something fundamentally new.
03
Shape the ideas of tomorrow, not refine the ideas of yesterday.
Real progress rarely comes from incrementally improving questions everyone already understands. It comes from pursuing the harder questions that may define the next decade — before the answers, methods or opportunities are obvious.
04
See what does not yet exist — and bring the passion to make it real.
Vision begins before there is a roadmap, a mandate or certainty that something can be done. What turns possibility into reality is the conviction and passion to keep building long after the initial excitement is gone.
05
Take ownership. Stay the course. Make it happen.
The things that matter most rarely happen under ideal conditions. Ownership means staying with the challenge through resistance, setbacks and uncertainty — keeping the direction clear and continuing when the odds turn against you.
06
Scale does not correct weakened standards. It magnifies the damage.
The quality standards you set, the ambition you demand and the compromises you accept become exponentially more consequential as an organization grows. What you weaken early will not be repaired by scale — it will be magnified.

03Working together

Michael Backes speaking to a small group seated at a meeting table in a bright room

What I choose to work on

I want to work on challenges that genuinely capture my curiosity and ambition, and that I would care deeply about even beyond the commercial engagement itself.

I am most interested in situations where my particular combination of deep scientific expertise, visionary thinking, technology strategy, leadership experience, access to exceptional talent, international perspective and institution-building experience can make a decisive difference for the organization I work with.

These are typically complex, ambitious challenges where conventional answers are not enough, several dimensions have to be understood together, and there is a real opportunity to create something exceptional — whether that means shaping a new technological direction, building an institution, attracting extraordinary people or fundamentally changing the trajectory of an organization.

That is why I deliberately work with only a small number of leaders and institutions at any given time. I prefer fewer engagements, deeper involvement and relationships that can develop over the medium to long term.

The deciding question is simple: does this challenge genuinely excite me — and is it one where I can bring my full skill set to bear and make a decisive difference?