Is WHU Germany’s Answer to Harvard Business School?

Note: The following contributions are personal impulses from Max Eckel. They represent individual reflections and are intended to stimulate discussion and further thought.

Can we create a "Harvard Business School" in Germany? And why would we even want that?

Because schools like Harvard University (and its business school HBS) don’t just teach business. They set the standard for ambitious careers, attract talent from around the world, and fuel entire industries. The biggest benefactor? The United States.

So, is WHU the Harvard Business School of Germany? That question usually sparks debate. Some say Harvard’s brand and history are unmatched. True. But at its core, why do people choose a business school? To prepare for an ambitious, prestigious career. And here, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management is already making its case. In entrepreneurship, it’s the most efficient startup university in Europe, almost unmatched in producing unicorn founders, and number one in founders per student across DACH.

But if you look at the career paths outside startups, the comparison gets even more intriguing. I compared LinkedIn alumni statistics for HBS and WHU... and the overlap in top employers is striking. McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Bain & Company. Google, Amazon. Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank. The same companies people dream of when going to HBS… are also where WHU alumni end up. Of course, Harvard is bigger: ~200,000+ alumni versus a few thousand for WHU. But it’s not only about getting in the door. It’s about what happens once you’re inside.

Take three examples:

• The Germany head of Google, Philipp Justus, is a WHU alum.
• The Germany head of Bain, Christina Ellringmann, is a WHU alum.
• And... the global CEO of the Boston Consulting Group, Christoph Schweizer, isn’t from Boston. He studied at WHU.

So, while Harvard may have centuries of history, WHU is already proving that a "Harvard Business School" for Germany isn’t just a far-off vision. It’s something we’re actively building. …or maybe WHU is quietly building its own category altogether.

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