A first-class faculty of experts –

Research, teaching, and real-world relevance.

About the Faculty

WHU’s faculty members are a diverse team of academic experts, engaged in pioneering and dynamic research, fundamental to our mission of achieving excellence in management education.

Incorporating this cutting-edge research into the curriculum, many of our ever-increasing faculty also teach students at varying degree levels. WHU is at the forefront of innovation in management education, with our faculty of experts generating groundbreaking research and bringing hands-on, practical references to the classroom.

WHU is the only private German university that is a member of the German Research Foundation (DFG). This membership is a testament to our academics’ dedication to their profession. International connections complement our distinguished faculty with top practitioners from around the world, strengthening collaborations and relationships for continued excellence.

A growing faculty for dynamic research and development in education:
42
Full Professors
17
Assistant Professors
3
Adjunct Professors
3
Apl. Professors
4
Senior Fellows
17
Honorary Professors
Faculty Members

Dedicated to research –
Providing academic excellence.

At present, 42 professors are conducting high-quality research at WHU. Every member of our faculty is an international expert in their field, serving the academic world through innovative joint research projects:

Adjunct professors are experts distinguished in research and teaching who are employed full-time at another university. In their work as adjunct professors at WHU, they generally teach in WHU's programs and devote themselves to specific research projects - often in collaboration with other WHU faculty members:

Academically qualified persons may be appointed as an „Außerplanmäßige Professorin“ or „Außerplanmäßiger Professor“ if they teach regularly at WHU. This is possible for former assistant professors after a positive evaluation, for people with a post-doctoral degree („Habilitierte“), or for persons who otherwise fulfill the hiring requirements for a professorship. Through different backgrounds, „Außerplanmäßige Professorin“ or „Außerplanmäßiger Professor“ contribute to the variety of faculty profiles, whereby excellent performance in research and teaching as well as a clear contribution to the further development of the school are a prerequisite:

With the title Honorary Professor, WHU honors individuals who have rendered outstanding scientific services in the course of their professional activities or scientific field, and who have thus become significant personalities both for the academic field and for the corporate world.

WHU only honors those individuals who have made a long-term commitment to the future success of the school and thus ensure continued excellence. With their diverse expertise, they contribute to WHU’s high teaching quality.

In the 30 years since the school was founded, this honor has been bestowed upon only 17 individuals to date:

A Senior Fellow of WHU is an exceptional personality from an economic, political or societal background who has rendered remarkable services to the school:

    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Jaakko Honko (†)
    • Professor Dr. h.c. mult. Donald Jacobs (†)
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Peter Mertens
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Ordelheide (†)
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Paul Riebel (†)
    • Dr. h.c. Nikolaus Schweickart
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Pierre Tabatoni (†)
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Carl Zimmerer (†)
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Erich Greipl (†)
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Otto Beisheim (†)
    • Dr. h.c. Albrecht Deyhle
    • Professor Dr. h.c. Klaus-Michael Kühne
    • Dr. h.c. Hans-Joachim Spittler (†)
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Reinhard H. Schmidt
    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Klaus Brockhoff

    • Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Karl-Friedrich Meyer

    Research Groups and Chairs

    Academic groups at WHU –
    Provoking innovative research.

    A unique collaborative approach to research throughout the school strengthens WHU’s contribution to the academic community. Our faculty unite across fields of expertise in Groups to share their knowledge, practices, and innovative ideas, continually advancing the school’s influence in leading business research.

    Economics

    The Economics Group connects chairs from across WHU to generate collaboration between experts in the field. Comprised of leading academics from both WHU and external institutions, the Group organizes the Research Seminar in Economics, creating the opportunity for economics experts to present their work to the wider community.

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    Entrepreneurship & Innovation

    The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group is part of a prosperous partnership with the Center for Research in Innovation & Technology at Kellogg School of Management. The partnership serves as a platform for innovation and collaboration around the world to share information and transform it in practice.

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    Finance & Accounting

    Bringing together independent chairs around WHU, the Finance and Accounting Group leverages synergies across related fields and coordinates teaching around the school. The Group also maintains the Center for Private Banking and the Financial Accounting & Tax Center, generating resources for financial researchers and decision-makers.

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    Management

    Leadership, management, and behaviour unite under the Management Group at WHU. Understanding an organization’s challenges, structure, and motivations can be the defining factor between successful and frustration. The Management Group supports independent chairs across the school in their continued research into the complexities behind organizational behaviour. 

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    Marketing & Sales

    The Marketing and Sales Group maintains an active presence in the scientific community through its publications, business engagement, and outstanding teaching. Bridging the gap between academia and managerial practice, the Group provides executive education courses, organizes seminars for the dissemination of research, and models its teaching to ensure students will thrive in real-world business scenarios.

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    Supply Chain Management

    Recognized for its top position in supply chain management research, WHU was ranked 6th in a global comparison of universities producing empirical supply chain management (SCM) research by the 2019 SCM Journal List. As the highest-ranked supply chain management research institution outside the United States, the Supply Chain Management Group is leading cutting-edge research around the school’s associated chairs.

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