He was born in Germany and raised in Germany, Iran, and Argentina which helped shape his career path as a geologist. He earned his master’s degree at Heidelberg University in Germany, studying the Italian Dolomites. He was awarded a PhD from Technische University at in Berlin, Germany and his project involved a basin analysis in southern Bolivia. He joined Colorado State University in 2006. Sven is an expert in carbonate and shale sedimentology, basin analysis, and geologic mobility of oil and gas resources.