Carsten Gerhardt studied physics, mathematics, economics and Anglo-Irish literature in Germany, Ireland, the USA and Canada. His doctorate was in theoretical solid state physics. Since 1998, his professional career as a management consultant has taken him to a wide range of industries, from financial services to the energy sector, basic industries, industrial goods and aviation. 

His consulting focus is on the chemical and agricultural industries with a particular interest in the transformation fields of digitalization and circular economy.

In addition to his work as a management consultant, Gerhardt is the initiator and chairman of Wuppertalbewegung e.V., an association for improving the quality of life in Wuppertal. This includes reactivating the disused “Nordbahntrasse” railroad line through Wuppertal as a walking, cycling and inline skating path. This means he is also directly involved in a sustainability project in his private life. Since 2020, Gerhardt has been committed to positioning the Rhine-Ruhr region as a “Circular Valley” - a region in which globally leading solutions for circular value creation are being developed.