Dr. Karsten Brast

Operating Advisor to Private Equity, Boards, and Industrial CEOs
Cross-Border Manufacturing | Asia–Europe Operations | Joint-Venture Governance

I am a senior industrial operating advisor supporting private equity investors, boards, and industrial leadership teams facing cross-border manufacturing complexity, Asia exposure, and joint-venture governance challenges.

Over more than 30 years in global industrial supply chains, I have built and operated manufacturing and technology ventures across China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.

For more than two decades, I have worked directly inside Asian manufacturing ecosystems, including executive P&L leadership within a Chinese-listed automotive Tier-1 supplier.

As a European executive holding permanent residency in China, I operate with direct market access, regulatory familiarity, and long-term embedded presence across Greater China and Southeast Asia.

My work typically focuses on situations where industrial operations, governance structures, and cross-border strategy intersect.

Typical focus areas include: Asia exposure risk assessment, joint-venture governance and restructuring, cross-border operational stabilization, M&A evaluation and post-merger integration, manufacturing footprint and supply-chain transformation, industrial strategy and margin alignment

In parallel to my advisory work, I develop industrial ventures and technology platforms through NATURE2WORLD, a Singapore-based industrial platform focused on cross-border manufacturing architecture and venture development.

Engagements are mandate-based, execution-oriented, and limited in number.

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Industrial Experience

  • Former Global CTO and Head of R&D at NBHX Automotive, a Chinese-listed automotive interiors supplier serving OEMs including VW, Daimler, BMW, and BYD.

  • Former Vice President Programs & Engineering at Faurecia / Continental, responsible for global automotive platform programs.

  • Founder of Nature2Need, an advanced biomaterials and materials innovation venture with global industrial partnerships.

  • More than two decades of operating inside Asian industrial ecosystems across China, Southeast Asia, and global supply chains.

Recognition

  • Recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award.

  • Selected for the Zhejiang “1000 Talent Plan”.

  • Swiss Solar Impulse Label for the Mottainai 5.0 industrial framework.

  • Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing.), RWTH Aachen University (IKV).


Industrial Focus

My work focuses on stabilizing and aligning cross-border industrial operations where governance, capital allocation, and operational execution diverge.

Typical situations include:

  • European companies with complex China or Southeast Asia exposure

  • Asian industrial groups expanding into European markets

  • joint-venture governance conflicts

  • operational underperformance in cross-border manufacturing structures

The objective is simple: restore alignment between ownership intent, regional execution, and capital performance.

NATURE2WORLD serves as the industrial platform through which technology initiatives, joint ventures, and manufacturing ventures are developed alongside advisory mandates.

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