# Philipp von Gilsa

> Philipp von Gilsa is the New York-based CEO and co-founder of Kontakt.io. His public record spans prize-winning research on family-company acquisitions, public-policy studies in Beijing and London, early work in finance and internet businesses, and the development of an indoor-location company backed by the European Investment Bank and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. His own writing emphasizes focus, practical deployment, flexible commercial models, and continuous learning.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Kontakt.io
- **Organizations:** Kontakt.io, Rocket Internet, J.P. Morgan, Jumia Group, Oliver Wyman, L’Oréal, zweitausendvier gmbh
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, Corporate Management & Economics, Zeppelin University, Master of Public Administration, Peking University, MSc, Public Policy and Administration, London School of Economics and Political Science
- **Known for:** Leonardo & Co. thesis award, 2014., Co-author of a 2015 Academy of Management Best Paper Award-nominated paper., LSE MSc Prize for Best Overall Performance, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.

## Career timeline

- **2011-2013** — Early roles included product marketing at L’Oréal, a J.P. Morgan investment-banking summer analyst position, and visiting consulting at Oliver Wyman, as listed by The Org.
- **Before Kontakt.io** — Worked as a country manager for Rocket Internet in Paris and held analyst positions at J.P. Morgan.
- **2014** — Received the Leonardo & Co. Award for his Zeppelin University bachelor’s thesis.
- **2015** — Start of Kontakt.io tenure according to public professional profiles; exact historical CEO start date is not asserted.
- **2015** — Co-authored Corporate Acquisitions and Family Control, nominated for an Academy of Management Best Paper Award.
- **2017** — Identified contemporaneously as Kontakt.io VP of market operations; published articles on leadership, BLE deployments, and market focus.
- **2019** — Identified as CEO in the contemporary Simon AI product-launch announcement.
- **2021** — Identified as CEO in Kontakt.io’s H2 2021 press kit.
- **2022** — As CEO, represented Kontakt.io in an EIB announcement of €12 million financing.
- **2024** — Kontakt.io announced a $47.5 million investment led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

## Achievements

- Leonardo & Co. thesis award, 2014.
- Co-author of a 2015 Academy of Management Best Paper Award-nominated paper.
- LSE MSc Prize for Best Overall Performance, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.
- Capital Top 40 under 40, November 2024, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.
- Led Kontakt.io at the time of its 2022 EIB financing and 2024 Goldman Sachs-led investment.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Listed as CEO on Kontakt.io’s March 2026 event-team page.
- **2025-10** — A Cremanski & Company case study, marked updated October 22, describes his work on sales responsibilities, management participation, and hiring a VP of sales; the underlying engagement date is unspecified.
- **2024-11** — LinkedIn lists his Capital Top 40 under 40 recognition.

## Links

- Website: https://kontakt.io/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pvg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/philipp-von-gilsa
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20