{"id":3345,"date":"2021-05-04T10:56:02","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T10:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iese.edu\/standout\/?p=3345"},"modified":"2024-04-22T06:15:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T06:15:45","slug":"timo-buetefisch-cooltra-founder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iese.edu\/standout\/timo-buetefisch-cooltra-founder\/","title":{"rendered":"Timo Buetefisch. From MBA to Cooltra founder. Success stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1559140963143{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1559216895048{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

Timo<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Buetefisch<\/span><\/span>, co-founder and CEO of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Cooltra<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Group, persisted in his entrepreneurial spirit until he found<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a project that today has\u00a0<\/span><\/span>over<\/span><\/span>\u00a0400\u00a0<\/span><\/span>employees<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a presence<\/span><\/span> in more than 50 cities and eight countries.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/blockquote><\/span><\/div>[vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]It all started as great stories begin: with a dream.\u00a0<\/span>Timo<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Buetefisch<\/span>\u00a0wanted to start<\/span>\u00a0a company<\/span>, create<\/span> a project of his own, solve problems and have a positive impact on the world. When he was<\/span>\u00a0younger<\/span>, he started his first company. But\u00a0<\/span>it was a failure\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>lost “a lot of money,” he admits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He needed to change his s<\/span>trategy<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>so shortly afterwards\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span><\/b>began<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>his<\/span><\/b>\u00a0MBA at IESE<\/span><\/b>. He was attracted to the demand<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0of the program, the\u00a0<\/span>case\u00a0<\/span>method and its strength in Europe. In addition, he wanted to meet students and\u00a0<\/span>professor<\/span>s who\u00a0<\/span>were<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as passionate about entrepreneurship as he\u00a0<\/span><\/b>was<\/span><\/b>. He needed to\u00a0<\/span>create<\/span>\u00a0new contacts and sources of inspiration.\u00a0<\/span>And he\u00a0<\/span>did just that.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A tireless <\/span><\/b>spirit<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

B<\/span>efore finishing his MBA<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0he had already started his next project:\u00a0<\/span>Lilium<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>A platform for\u00a0<\/span>the sale\u00a0<\/span>and distribut<\/span>ion of<\/span>\u00a0flowers that\u00a0<\/span>was given a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>60,000-euro<\/span>\u00a0investment<\/span>\u00a0from a business angel. It didn’t work out as he expected, but he went\u00a0<\/span>on, un<\/span>discouraged. He would only take a step back to regain momentum.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2004, he decided to take\u00a0<\/span>some\u00a0<\/span>time to recover financially and reflect. His education<\/span>, experience and talent allowed him to become an assistant to the CEO of Grupo Bertelsmann in Barcelona. He spent two\u00a0<\/span>eye-opening<\/span>\u00a0years there until he<\/span>, quite literally,\u00a0<\/span>hit the road again.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

St. Paul\u00a0<\/span>f<\/span>e<\/span>ll off\u00a0<\/span>his<\/span>\u00a0horse and\u00a0<\/span>Timo<\/span>\u00a0f<\/span>ou<\/span>nd inspiration when his motorcycle\u00a0<\/span>wouldn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0start.\u00a0<\/span>It was when<\/span>\u00a0his\u00a0<\/span>bike<\/span>\u00a0broke down<\/span>\u00a0that he<\/span>\u00a0began to see\u00a0<\/span>things<\/span>\u00a0clearly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]

<\/div>