WHU
The objective of the center is to contribute to the research of consumer goods in different areas, especially of Marketing, Management Accounting & Control and Purchasing, and to encourage an intensive collaboration with business.

Read the latest news of our Center – Get an insight into our activities

Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel at the Career Panel in Vallendar

Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel at the Career Panel in Vallendar

Once again, we had the pleasure of welcoming Carsten Knobel and other colleagues at WHU.

 
Top Management meets Top Talent - with Carsten Knobel

Top Management meets Top Talent - with Carsten Knobel

Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel discussed business challenges and career opportunities with WHU talents.

 
15th HCCG Advisory Board Meeting at Henkel

15th HCCG Advisory Board Meeting at Henkel

For the 15th time the HCCG advisory board met for the annual advisory board meeting in Düsseldorf

 

The team of the Henkel Center for Consumer Goods

Assistant Professor
Anna-Karina Schmitz
Assistant Professor Anna-Karina Schmitz
Director VAL A-212
Florian Platzek
Florian Platzek
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Marketing VAL A-210
Lukas Schnabl
Lukas Schnabl
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Marketing VAL A-210
Max Bantel
Max Bantel
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Purchasing VAL H-104
Hyungwoo Oh
Hyungwoo Oh
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Leadership DUS 5.1.36
Peter Liebens
Peter Liebens
External Doctoral Candidate Marketing
Niklas Sprungmann
Niklas Sprungmann
External Doctoral Candidate Marketing
Dr. Inga Bethmann
Dr. Inga Bethmann
Alumna
Dr. Leopold Ried
Dr. Leopold Ried
Alumnus
Dr. Modan Huang
Dr. Modan Huang
Alumna
Dr. Stéphane Timmer
Dr. Stéphane Timmer
Alumnus
Dr. Carina Weiber
Dr. Carina Weiber
Alumna

Advisory Board of the Henkel Center for Consumer Goods

The Henkel Center for Consumer Goods is supported by an Advisory Board, consisting of leading representatives of its donor Henkel AG & Co KGaA, Duesseldorf and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. The Advisory Board regularly meets to present and discuss current and future projects of HCCG. These meetings assure the practical relevance and scientific rigor of the research activities conducted at the Henkel Center for Consumer Goods.

Advisory Board

Guy Boone
Guy Boone
Corporate Vice President Global Head of Adhesives for Consumers & Craftsmen Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Bertrand Conquéret
Bertrand Conquéret
Corporate Vice President Global Head of Adhesives for Consumers & Craftsmen Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Professor Martin Fassnacht
Professor Martin Fassnacht
Chairman of the HCCG Advisory Board Chair of Strategy and Marketing WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Dr. Dieter Kahling
Dr. Dieter Kahling
Corporate Vice President, Head of Group Financial Controlling Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Professor Nadine Kammerlander
Professor Nadine Kammerlander
Institute of Family Business and Mittelstand, Chair of Family Business WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management
Professor Lutz Kaufmann
Professor Lutz Kaufmann
Chair of International Business & Supply Chain Management I WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management
Carsten Knobel
Carsten Knobel
Chief Executive Officer Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Wolfgang König
Wolfgang König
Executive Vice President Henkel Consumer Brands Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Professor Miriam Müthel
Professor Miriam Müthel
Chair of Organizational Behavior WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Sylvie Nicol
Sylvie Nicol
Executive Vice President Human Resources and Infrastructure Services Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Michael Nilles
Michael Nilles
Chief Digital and Information Officer Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

The collaboration with Henkel –

Close and trustful exchange on many levels

Numerous activities foster the exchange between Henkel managers and students of all programs. WHU students and alumni will find more information about career opportunities and application processes in the intranet.

The involved faculty is in a close exchange and lively dialogue with Henkel. Research and teaching activities are jointly developed and implemented. This fruitful exchange decisively affects the quality of all our activities. We believe that this close interaction and relationship is core for every trustful and successful long-term collaboration between business schools and managerial practice.

In 2015 and 2017 selected students had the great opportunity to meet two top managers of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA for a breakfast on the WHU campus in Vallendar. Kathrin Menges, former CHRO, and Carsten Knobel, CFO, provided valuable insights into current challenges in the consumer goods market in general and at Henkel. In a lively exhcange with the participants, they also talked about their own career paths and personal experiences. 

In 2018 Carsten Knobel (CFO) and Katrin Steinbüchel (Corporate Vice President Human Resources) invited MBA students for a business breakfast at Henkel's headquarter in Düsseldorf.

Practical experience is an integral part of the WHU programs. In internships at Henkel of at least three months students get valuable insights into the various sectors of an innovative and international consumer goods company. As a fully integrated team member the interns support the day-to-day business and work on projects.

The internship/thesis program with Henkel offers the opportunity to combine a research project with practical experience. The topics which are mutually assessed by WHU professors and mentors at Henkel will be presented  in January.

Every year in early summer, the Henkel Center for Consumer Goods organizes a roundtable for interns, managers and mentors of Henkel, including several WHU alumni, which offers all participants the opportunity to get to know each other and exchange experiences away from the daily office routine.

Read about our students' experiences:

1/5
Julia Hengstmann
Bachelor of Science 2018
"Working at Henkel as an intern was a great experience for me I really enjoyed and benefitted from! First, I learned how to put myself into the shoes of the customers and shareholders to better understand the industry dynamics and strategic value creation opportunities. Also, my supervisor encouraged me to bring in my own ideas, to challenge myself and to take over responsibility on a daily basis. Finally, Henkel has a unique global team and culture which is characterized by a great team spirit and collaboration. In summary, I can highly recommend Henkel for an internship."
Matthias Heinrich Morales
Bachelor of Science 2019
"I can highly recommend the joint Henkel-WHU thesis program as it allows to combine academic research with practical applications while having a real impact. During my time at Henkel, I was part of a multinational team based in different countries examining new business opportunities. I felt part of the Henkel community from day one and received close mentorship and continuous feedback. At the end of the working period, the team asked me to present my recommendation and results showcasing Henkel’s open, supportive, and impact-driven culture."
Philipp Zinnenlauf
Bachelor of Science 2019
"As an intern in the Global Strategy & Marketing Group Adhesive Technologies, I have been able to experience an insightful and interesting internship. I was considered as a fully-fledged team-member with huge responsibilities in terms of own projects and project workstreams. In this context, I have been responsible for improving the strategy tracking process of the strategic agenda, analyzing the progress of key strategic initiatives for top management reporting and providing ad-hoc support to a Henkel Board member."
Julia Domagala
Bachelor of Science 2018
"Apart from supporting the Recruiting and Employer Branding Team in their day-to-day business, I was in charge of an exciting and comprehensive project called “CTF Cyber Security Challenge”. From the very beginning I was given a lot of responsibility and trust. I really appreciated working in a very young and dynamic team. My colleagues and supervisors met me with openness and competence and were always willing to support me with the project. Their attitude represents the general mentality and working atmosphere at Henkel."
Simon Heesen
Bachelor of Science 2018
"As an intern and bachelor thesis student in the international marketing department for consumer adhesives at Henkel, I got the chance to use prior learned concepts from my studies in a real-life context. During the research for my bachelor thesis, I could access a wide variety of resources from Henkel and received great support from my WHU supervisor in close collaboration with my Henkel mentor. Besides the daily interaction with marketing professionals and product experts, I could gain first-hand insights for my thesis during local store visits."
1/5

Teaching areas –

Lectures across all academic programs of the WHU

The lectures of the HCCG do not only feature an introduction to essential theoretical concepts, but also exhibit a strong practice-oriented focus. Students gain valuable insights in the consumer goods industry by guest lectures and real-life case studies. Furthermore, they have the option to combine their thesis with an internship at Henkel. 

Programs

FieldLectureLecturer
ControllingCase Studies in Management Accounting & ControlMarko Reimer
ControllingCost AccountingLukas Löhlein
ControllingManagement Abroad Course shanghaiLukas Löhlein
PurchasingCase Development CourseLutz Kaufmann
PurchasingNegotiations for Management and EntrepreneursLutz Kaufmann
PurchasingStrategic SourcingLutz Kaufmann
FieldLectureLecturer
ControllingAdvanced ControllingMarko Reimer
MarketingB2C Price ManagementAnna-Karina Schmitz
PurchasingAdvanced Supply ManagementFelix Reimann
FieldLectureLecturer
PurchasingNegotiations for Managers and EntrepreneursLutz Kaufmann
Purchasing (only Full-time MBA)Strategic SourcingLutz Kaufmann
MarketingIntroduction to MarketingMartin Fassnacht
MarketingOmnichannel BusinessMartin Fassnacht
MarketingPrice ManagementMartin Fassnacht
Marketing (only Part-time MBA)International Module IndiaMartin Fassnacht
FieldLectureLecturer
Purchasing (Doctoral Program)Qualitative Research MethodsLutz Kaufmann
Purchasing (Executive Education)Negotiations for Managers and EntrepreneursLutz Kaufmann
Marketing (EMBA)Price ManagementMartin Fassnacht
Marketing (Executive Education)Omnichannel BusinessMartin Fassnacht

Guest lecturers:

1/11
Dr. Nils Daecke
Corporate Vice President Digital Marketing at Henkel Beauty Care
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Title: "Building and sustaining brands with digital marketing"
Lecture: Brand Management in family business, YES Program of Tsinghua University
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: August 15, 2019"
Dr. Bernd Fabry
Managing Director
IP2 Intellectual Property Partners and European Patent and Trademark Attorney
"Title: "Trademarks as strategic management tools"
Lectures: Strategic Brand Management, Part-time and Full-time MBA
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: July 2, 2019"
Thomas Schuffenhauer
Head of Corporate Venturing – Laundry & Home Care
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Title: "Managing brand equities"
Lecture: Strategic Brand Management, MBA
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: June 17, 2019"
Jens-Martin Schwärzler
Executive Vice President Beauty Care
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Title: "Reinventing Innovation and Marketing"
Lecture: Introduction to Marketing, Part-time MBA
Professor Martin Fassnacht

Date: April 13, 2019"
Xavier Martin
Corporate Vice President Global Marketing & Digital Adhesives for Consumers & Craftsmen
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Title: "Brand Management at Henkel Consumer Adhesives"
Lecture: Brand Management, Bachelor of Science
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: February 4, 2019"
Christian Fenner
Retail, Consumer Products and Organization
Bain & Company
"Title: "How to drive profitable and sustainable growth"
Lecture: Brand Management, Bachelor of Science
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: January 21, 2019"
Dr. Bernd Fabry
Managing Director
IP2 Intellectual Property Partners and European Patent and Trademark Attorney
"Title: "Trademarks as strategic management tools"
Lectures: Strategic Brand Management, Part-time and Full-time MBA (Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf)

Date: December 2018"
Thomas Schuffenhauer
Head of Corporate Venturing – Laundry & Home Care
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Title: "Managing brand equities"
Lecture: Strategic Brand Management, MBA
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: November 27, 2018"
Christian Fenner
‎Retail, Consumer Products and Organization
Bain & Company
"Lecture: Brand Management
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: October 18, 2018"
Catharina Christe
Director Christian Dior Parfums
‎LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics
"Lecture: Brand Management
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: September 20, 2018"
Katharina Vorwig
Manager Internet of Things and Corporate Venturing at Henkel Beauty Care
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Lecture: Brand Management in Family Business, YES Program of Tsinghua University, School of Economics and Management, Peking
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: August 10, 2018"
1/11

Case studies:

1/6
Robert Ruiz Hernandez
Laundry & Home Care Innovation Packaging
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Lecture: Product Manager's Interfaces and Tools, Master of Science
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: January 13/February 4, 2019"
Catharina Christe
Marketing Director Perfumes Christian Dior
LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics
"Lecture: Strategic Brand Management, MBA
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: January 12/January 26, 2019"
"Sarah Cirillo
Brand Manager Henkel Beauty Care
Carolina Cordero
Brand Manager Henkel Beauty Care
Patricjus Ziecik
Global Net Revenue Manager

Lecture: Price Management, PTMBA
Professor Martin Fassnacht

Date: July 21/July 28, 2018"
"Jutta Langer
Chairwoman ZWILLING Beauty Group
Henrike Kieschke
Global Head of Product & Brand Management ZWILLING Beauty Group
Stéphanie Esau
Director Corporate Development ZWILLING Beauty Group

Lecture: Strategic Brand Management, MBA
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: July 2/July 19, 2018"
Robert Ruiz Hernandez
Laundry & Home Care Innovation Packaging
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Lecture: Product Manager's Interfaces and Tools, Master of Science
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: April 10, 2018"
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
"Georg Baratta
Corporate Senior Vice President International Marketing Laundry Care
Jens Bode
Senior Manager International Foresight & R&D
Thomas Schuffenhauer
Director International Marketing Unit

Lecture: Product Manager's Interfaces and Tools, Master of Science
Apl. Professor Tim Oliver Brexendorf

Date: March 14, 2018"
1/6

Partners

In order to give our students profound practical insights into consumer goods management, we invite experienced practitioners to our lectures. They give guest lectures, provide real-life cases or discuss current developments in the FMCG and retail industry with our students.

Cross-functional management research – Within the fast moving consumer goods industry

The Henkel Center for Consumer Goods (HCCG) concentrates on cross-functional management research within fast moving consumer goods industry.

HCCG`s scientific research projects focus on the following areas of research:

  • Strategy and Marketing
  • Management Accounting and Control
  • Purchasing
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The research projects at the HCCG are conducted by both the faculty and the students. As a partner Henkel supports the center in the joint research activities. The generation, transfer and implementation of academic knowledge as well as the intensive cooperation and practice exchange with Henkel are of main interest.

Based on behavioral theories and state-of-the-art research methods, publications in high-ranked academic and practice-relevant journals are pursued.

Selected publications of the Henkel Center for Consumer Goods:

Controlling & Management Review, 65 (3), S. 16-22 (2021)

"Für uns ist Nachhaltigkeit kein Modethema" - Jürgen Weber im Dialog mit Carsten Knobel

Jürgen Weber und Carsten Knobel
Marketing Review St. Gallen, No. 3 (2020)

Premiumization as a Profit Growth Strategy - A Framework of Strategic Options

Anna-Karina Schmitz und Martin Fassnacht
CMR, Vol. 63, No. 6 (2019)

Neue Herausforderungen im Supply Chain Controlling

Christian Hebeler und Robert Risse
Springer: New York (2019)

Price Management: Strategy, Analysis, Decision, Implementation

Hermann Simon und Martin Fassnacht
Journal of Supply Chain Management, Vol. 55, No. 4 (2019)

Do Managers‘ Dark Personality Traits help Firms in Coping with Adverse Supply Chain Events?

Stéphane Timmer und Lutz Kaufmann
Journal of Business Research, Vol. 102 (2019)

Combating the Negative Effects of Showrooming: Successful Salesperson Tactics for Converting Showroomers Into Buyers

Martin Fassnacht, Sharon E. Beatty und Markus Szajna
Markenartikel – Das Magazin für Markenführung, No. 5 (2018)

Premiumisierung – Attraktivität und Preis durch Mehrwert steigern

Martin Fassnacht und Anna-Karina Schmitz
Marketing Review St. Gallen, No. 5 (2017)

Digitization and the Retail Landscape – 10 Theses

Martin Fassnacht und Anna-Karina Schmitz
Controlling & Management Review, 65 (3), S. 16-22 (2021)

"Für uns ist Nachhaltigkeit kein Modethema" - Jürgen Weber im Dialog mit Carsten Knobel

Jürgen Weber und Carsten Knobel
Marketing Review St. Gallen, No. 3 (2020)

Premiumization as a Profit Growth Strategy - A Framework of Strategic Options

Anna-Karina Schmitz und Martin Fassnacht
CMR, Vol. 63, No. 6 (2019)

Neue Herausforderungen im Supply Chain Controlling

Christian Hebeler und Robert Risse
Springer: New York (2019)

Price Management: Strategy, Analysis, Decision, Implementation

Hermann Simon und Martin Fassnacht
Journal of Supply Chain Management, Vol. 55, No. 4 (2019)

Do Managers‘ Dark Personality Traits help Firms in Coping with Adverse Supply Chain Events?

Stéphane Timmer und Lutz Kaufmann
Journal of Business Research, Vol. 102 (2019)

Combating the Negative Effects of Showrooming: Successful Salesperson Tactics for Converting Showroomers Into Buyers

Martin Fassnacht, Sharon E. Beatty und Markus Szajna
Markenartikel – Das Magazin für Markenführung, No. 5 (2018)

Premiumisierung – Attraktivität und Preis durch Mehrwert steigern

Martin Fassnacht und Anna-Karina Schmitz
Marketing Review St. Gallen, No. 5 (2017)

Digitization and the Retail Landscape – 10 Theses

Martin Fassnacht und Anna-Karina Schmitz

The Henkel Center for Consumer Goods – Interface to corporate practice

Founder

The Henkel Center for Consumer Goods (HCCG) is founded and supported by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Duesseldorf. We are in close exchange with our founder and work together in a long-term and trustful collaboration. Our Advisory Board consists of members of Henkel’s top management as well as WHU professors.

Collaborations

The Henkel Center for Consumer Goods (HCCG) maintains close contacts and an active dialogue with the consumer goods and retailing industry. We build a bridge between academia and managerial practice. For us, a close collaboration and exchange with consumer goods and retailing practice is a prerequisite for applied research. We search for solutions and improvements for corporate practice.

We further strive for an intense dialogue with practitioners. There are several options of a collaboration:

  • Participating and initiating joint research projects.
  • Providing real-life case studies and guest lectures within our lectures at the WHU.
  • Developing case studies with your company for practice-oriented teaching. 
  • Exchanging ideas and latest research, providing customized key notes, participating in panel discussions, training, and advising your company.

We are looking forward to a lively exchange with the consumer goods and retailing industry. If you are interested in collaborating with us, do not hesitate to contact Assistant Professor Anna-Karina Schmitz.

Get in touch with us –

We look forward to hearing from you.
Assistant Professor Anna-Karina Schmitz
Assistant Professor Anna-Karina Schmitz
Director Henkel Center for Consumer Goods VAL A-212

Our Location

Henkel Center for Consumer Goods
WHU Campus Vallendar
WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Burgplatz 2
56179 Vallendar