Class of 2009 Yearbook: The Honorees

Employer: Amadeus IT Group SA

LOCATION: Erding, Germany

Most valuable career advice: "Focus on global responsibility and be international in my view."

What do you love about IT? "It is dynamic. It is an innovative driver for growth. And it can power profitability."

Best mentoring relationship: "To provide my motivation and advice to my employees to help them in their future career steps."

Favorite gadget: "My convertible Porsche."

People you'd invite to your dream dinner party: Cassius Clay, Sammy Davis Jr., Albert Einstein and NASA rocket scientist Dr. Wernher von Braun

In whom do you confide when weighing professional decisions? "My employees."

Passion outside of work: "Any outdoor activity -- mountain biking, hiking, extreme skiing, windsurfing."

Your recreational best: "It has to be last year when I crossed the Alps on my mountain bike. No roads, no real trails and a journey of almost 300 miles at 18,000-foot altitude."

Favorite sport: "I love extreme or helicopter skiing on powder snow."

What about you would surprise the people you work with? "When I was 19 years old, I was the German national swimming champion in 100- and 200-meter breast stroke. I was swimming so much then that now I stay away from the water!"

Leadership philosophy in a nutshell: "Select the right people. Give them the right directions. And let them go. Trust them. Give them responsibility. Provide them feedback. Reward them and let them feel secure and confident."