Christian Sommer

Few Europeans have witnessed China’s economic transformation as closely as Christian Sommer.

Known by many as “Mr German Centre”, he has spent more than three decades helping German companies establish and grow their presence in China. Sommer arrived in Shanghai in the mid-1990s, when the city was only beginning its rise as a global commercial centre. Since then, he has worked alongside hundreds of businesses as China evolved into one of the world’s most important markets and innovation hubs.

Today, Christian Sommer is CEO and Chairman of the German Centre Shanghai and Chairman of the German Centre Taicang. He leads organisations that help German businesses enter the Chinese market, build local partnerships, and expand with confidence. The German Centres provide companies with practical support, trusted networks, and opportunities to exchange knowledge and experience.

Sommer found his calling in 1999 when he established the German Centre in Beijing. He built its reputation and helped make it a focal point for the German business community in the capital. In 2005, he returned to Shanghai to lead the newly opened German Centre in Zhangjiang High-Tech Park. There, he assembled a new team, attracted tenants to more than 30,000 square metres of office space, and developed a thriving community for German small and medium-sized enterprises.

Alongside China’s remarkable rise, Sommer has guided companies through periods of rapid growth, economic reform, and intensifying competition. He is also a witness to China’s emergence as a global manufacturing leader and its evolution into a centre of innovation, research, and advanced industry.

Sommer speaks regularly on foreign investment, localisation strategies, industrial competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and the future of international cooperation. His insights come from years spent helping companies adapt to changing market conditions and seize new opportunities.

He believes successful partnerships begin with mutual understanding. He also encourages businesses to embrace differences, adapt to local conditions, and invest in long-term relationships.

Outside work, Christian Sommer enjoys spending time with his family and remains a keen table tennis player. In fact, the sport first introduced him to China when he visited his table tennis teammate’s hometown of Hangzhou.