Tilman looks back on a 15-year corporate career as an HR professional and leader in the automotive industry. In 2014, he took a gap year to pursue a more meaningful career focused on growing people and fostering better relationships in an international context. Having always enjoyed mediating conflict and intercultural communication, particularly during his time as HR Director for General Motors Europe, Tilman took 250 hours of Coaching training, 150 hours of Business Mediation training, and 200 hours of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) training, which resonated most with him. He also prepared for a move to China by studying its culture and language.
In 2015, Tilman relocated to China and began a new career as a cross-cultural consultant, trainer, and coach for a German consultancy in Shanghai. He integrated NVC into cross-cultural communication, helping Chinese and German teams bridge cultural gaps by focusing on understanding each other’s needs and values.
In 2019, Tilman founded his own company, 8C Consulting, dedicated to improving collaboration, communication, and leadership in international teams and organizations. The eight C’s stand for Compassionate, Candid, Constructive, Conscious Cross-Cultural Communication & Collaboration.
Between 2017 and 2024, Tilman shared NVC with over 2,000 people, accumulating 3,000+ hours of training and facilitation, and 1,500+ hours of executive coaching. NVC became a central pillar of his work with organizations, teams, and leaders. He continued his NVC journey by attending 52 days of certified training with 12 different CNVC-certified trainers from all around the world.
Today, Tilman is a well-established executive coach and communication and leadership trainer for multinational corporations. He also mediates business conflicts, works with teachers, facilitates senior leadership team workshops, and even coaches couples as a hobby. Psychological safety in teams has become a recent focus for Tilman, as he believes it can only be achieved by embracing NVC principles. He is passionate about introducing NVC to more organizations to enhance performance and well-being, spreading Marshall Rosenberg’s legacy into the corporate world.
Tilman’s trainings are highly interactive, avoiding PowerPoint in favor of flipcharts, role-plays, and participant-led discussions. Since 2018, he has served as President of the Shanghai Coaching Circle, and in 2024, he became the first non-Chinese CNVC-certified trainer in Mainland China.
Some of Tilman’s past training titles include:
• "Introduction to Nonviolent Communication"
• "The Power of Empathy – Empathy Fitness Center"
• "Influencing without Authority (across Hierarchies)"
• "Successfully Dealing with Conflict"
• "Boosting Communication Awareness and Navigating Conflict"
• "Introduction to Psychological Safety"
• "Nonviolent Communication for Coaches"
