In his guest lecture on December 1, Dr. Sebastian Stern, an alumnus of the Institute of Management Accounting & Control (IMC) of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, provided the students from the WHU's master program with practical insights into financial steering at Deutsche Bahn. The students gained fascinating insights into the objectives and processes at DB on its way toward a sustainable mobility for the future. Dr. Stern emphasized the significance of dynamic company steering, the integration of digital tools, the strategic expansion of core business areas, and restructuring the personnel as a basis for a sustainable transformation. He outlined and discussed DB's challenges with the students, such as fulfilling the company's purpose of "strong rails" without compromising on the economic orientation towards profits.
The guest lecture offered the opportunity to generate many interesting insights from practice while providing a vivid and critical discussion with numerous opportunities to reflect. We thank Dr. Sebastian Stern for his inspiring lecture.