Sebastian Fourné is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. His research - grounded in organizational learning and network theory - explores the roles of middle managers as corporate entrepreneurs in multinational organizations. For example, middle managers handle multiple roles driving strategic renewal through upward and downward influencing processes. Sebastian investigates the interface processes linking top, middle, and operational level management and their performance implications. Additionally, he considers the contingency effects of middle managers' social networks and their work context in terms of organizational design and climate. Despite middle managers' commitment and their vital roles in corporate entrepreneurship, e.g. bottom-up championing of new initiatives and top-down strategy implementation, they have received neither in practice nor in research the recognition they deserve. Sebastian's second stream of research focuses on global strategy, particularly MNEs in emerging markets. Given the increasing saturation of crisis-shaken established markets he studies the quest of MNEs to enter and prevail in burgeoning, yet volatile emerging markets. Prior to joining the Department of Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship, Sebastian worked on global corporate finance and strategy projects for the world's leading diamond company, De Beers, in London. He is a graduate (2007) "Cum Laude" of the MScBA Strategic Management programme of the Rotterdam School of Management, completed an exchange to The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) with a 4.0GPA, and in 2006 he also obtained his BSc International Business Administration degree "Cum Laude" at the Erasmus University. Sebastian is a professional golfer and an expert skier. He loves to combine these sports - in which he competes professionally - with his main hobbies traveling and photography.