Great exchange between WHU alumni and interns at Henkel
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About us
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.
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Get an insight into our activities.
Our team
The team of
the Henkel Center for Consumer Goods.
Assistant Professor Dr.
Anna-Karina Schmitz
Director
VAL A-212
+49 (0)261 6509 763
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Florian Platzek
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Marketing
VAL A-210
+49 (0)261 6509 761
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Lukas Schnabl
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Marketing
VAL A-210
+49 (0)261 6509 762
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Hoang Minh Nguyen
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Purchasing
VAL H-104
+49 (0)261 6509 323
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Hyungwoo Oh
Research Assistant / Doctoral Candidate Leadership
DUS 5.1.36
+49 (0)211 4470 9317
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Peter Liebens
External Doctoral Candidate Marketing
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Niklas Sprungmann
External Doctoral Candidate Marketing
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Dr. Inga Bethmann
Alumna
Dr. Stéphane Timmer
Alumnus
Dr. Leopold Ried
Alumnus
Dr. Carina Weiber
Alumna
Dr. Modan Huang
Alumna
Advisory board
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.
Guy Boone
Corporate Vice President Global Head of Adhesives
for Consumers & Craftsmen
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Bertrand Conquéret
Corporate Senior Vice President Global Purchasing
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht
Chairman of the HCCG Advisory Board
Chair of Strategy and Marketing
WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Dr. Dieter Kahling
Corporate Vice President, Head of Group Financial Controlling
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Prof. Dr. Nadine Kammerlander
Institute of Family Business and Mittelstand,
Chair of Family Business
WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management
Prof. Dr. Lutz Kaufmann
Chair of International Business & Supply Chain Management I
WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management
Carsten Knobel
Chief Executive Officer
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Wolfgang König
Executive Vice President
Henkel Consumer Brands
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Professor Dr. Miriam Müthel
Chair of Organizational Behavior
WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Sylvie Nicol
Executive Vice President
Human Resources and Infrastructure Services
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Michael Nilles
Chief Digital and Information Officer
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Exchange with Henkel
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:
Julia Hengstmann
"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."
Bachelor of Science 2018
Matthias Heinrich Morales
"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."
Bachelor of Science 2019
Philipp Zinnenlauf
"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."
Bachelor of Science 2019
Julia Domagala
„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."
Bachelor of Science 2018
Simon Heesen
"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."
Bachelor of Science 2018
Teaching
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.
| Field | Lecture | Lecturer |
| Controlling | Case Studies in Management Accounting & Control | Marko Reimer |
| Controlling | Cost Accounting | Lukas Löhlein |
| Controlling | Management Abroad Course shanghai | Lukas Löhlein |
| Purchasing | Case Development Course | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Purchasing | Nagotiations for Management and Entrepreneurs | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Purchasing | Strategic Sourcing | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Field | Lecture | Lecturer |
| Controlling | Advanced Controlling | Marko Reimer |
| Marketing | B2C Price Management | Anna-Karina Schmitz |
| Purchasing | Advanced Supply Management | Felix Reimann |
| Field | Lecture | Lecturer |
| Purchasing | Negotiations for Managers and Entrepreneurs | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Purchasing (only Full-time MBA) | Strategic Sourcing | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Marketing | Introduction to Marketing | Martin Fassnacht |
| Marketing | Omnichannel Business | Martin Fassnacht |
| Marketing | Price Management | Martin Fassnacht |
| Marketing (only Part-time MBA) | International Module India | Martin Fassnacht |
| Field | Lecture | Lecturer |
| Purchasing (Doctoral Program) | Qualitative Research Methods | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Purchasing (Executive Education) | Nagotiations for Managers and Entrepreneurs | Lutz Kaufmann |
| Marketing (EMBA) | Price Management | Martin Fassnacht |
| Marketing (Executive Education) | Omnichannel Business | Martin Fassnacht |
Guest lectures:
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 Dr. 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 Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
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 Dr. 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 Dr. 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 Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
Date: February 4, 2019
Christian Fenner
Bain & Company
Retail, Consumer Products and Organization
- Title: "How to drive profitable and sustainable growth"
- Lecture: Brand Management, Bachelor of Science
- Apl. Professor Dr. 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 Dr. 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 Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
Date: November 27, 2018
Christian Fenner
Bain & Company
Retail, Consumer Products and Organization
- Lecture: Brand Management
- Apl. Professor Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
Date: October 18, 2018
Catharina Christe
Director Christian Dior Parfums
LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics
- Lecture: Brand Management
- Apl. Professor Dr. 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 Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
Date: August 10, 2018
Case studies:
Henkel AG & Co. KGa
Robert Ruiz Hernandez
Laundry & Home Care Innovation Packaging
- Lecture: Product Manager's Interfaces and Tools, Master of Science
- Apl. Professor Dr. 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 Dr. 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 Dr. 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 Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
Date: July 2/July 19, 2018
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Robert Ruiz Hernandez
Laundry & Home Care Innovation Packaging
- Lecture: Product Manager's Interfaces and Tools, Master of Science
- Apl. Professor Dr. 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 Dr. Tim Oliver Brexendorf
Date: March 14, 2018
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.
Research
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:
Timmer, S., Kaufmann, L., 2019: Do Managers‘ Dark Personality Traits help Firms in Coping with Adverse Supply Chain Events? In: Journal of Supply Chain Management, 55 (4), 67-97
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Business
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 Dr. Anna-Karina Schmitz.
Get in touch
Get in touch with us –
We look forward to hearing from you.
Jun.-Prof. Dr.
Anna-Karina Schmitz
Director Henkel Center for Consumer Goods
Campus Vallendar
Burgplatz 2
56179 Vallendar
VAL A-212
+49 (0)261 6509 763
send email