Prof. Schmid studied psychology at Otto-Friedrich-Unviersität Bamberg and the University of London and subsequently worked for several years as an HR Business Partner at General Electric's European Research Center. In 2011, she moved to the Technical University of Munich, where she received her doctorate summa cum laude and most recently headed a competence center for leadership development in the digital world. In 2019, she accepted an appointment at Munich Business School as Professor of Responsible Leadership.

Ellen Schmid teaches and researches in the field of human resource and organizational development with a focus on leadership development in a digital world of work. The results of her research have been published in leading international journals and she has received various awards for her teaching and research.