Leading Corporate Transformation: The WHU Podcast, powered by PwC Prof. Dr. Serden Ozcan, Prof. Dr. Martin Glaum, Gori von Hirschhausen

Bayer AG is one of the most important German companies in the life science business.
Now the organization is at a historic turning point, dealing with numerous lawsuits resulting from the acquisition of Monsanto, a pharmaceutical pipeline that is losing exclusivity, and a significant decline in market value over the past few years.
This has also sparked investor discussions about the possibility of splitting up the company. In this episode, CFO Wolfgang Nickl will discuss how he, along with the new CEO Bill Anderson and the rest of the Bayer team, are facing these challenges.

Join us for an interesting discussion on what lies ahead for Bayer and how the company will transform in the coming years.

Guest: Wolfgang Nickl
Hosts: Martin Glaum & Gori von Hirschhausen
Editorial Team: Simon Görlach & Marvin Schöne

In this new episode of the Leading Corporate Transformation podcast, Professor Martin Glaum from WHU and Gori von Hirschhausen from PwC Germany interview Kai Andrejewski, the CFO of the Sixt Group.
Sixt has achieved remarkable growth in recent years. How have they managed to achieve this amidst global challenges? As CFO, Kai gives us insights into the company's growth story, highlighting their distinctive business model that has not only thrived in Europe but has also propelled Sixt to significant expansion in the USA. He also sheds light on the company’s digitalization projects, the utilization of AI and predictive analytics in his finance department. Additionally, you’ll learn about Kai's career journey from being a partner in audit to becoming the CFO and the skills he finds particularly beneficial due to his intriguing professional path.

In the latest episode of Leading Corporate Transformation, Prof. Serden Ozcan and Gori von Hirschhausen from PwC Germany interview the Chair Managing Director of Keysight Technologies Germany, Dr. Joachim Peerlings. He talks about the history of his company and how its operations have evolved over the years. Learn more about the business of Keysight Technologies and what impact the company has today. Also get information about what it's like as an US company to operate out of Germany and how the company is currently working with AI. You'll learn insights on how to keep a company agile as it grows and what leadership advice Joachim would give you for your career.

In this new episode, Prof. Serden Ozcan and Gori von Hirschhausen from PwC Germany discuss with Gillian Drakeford, former Head of Global Retail Experience at INTER IKEA Group. She talks about her long career at IKEA and her role as a CEO in China, United Kingdom and Ireland . Gillian explains the company's biggest strategic and operational challenges and also looks at the company's ability to increase its profitability. Learn what three things had to happen for a successful digital transformation at IKEA and what personal tips Gillian would give you for your career.

In this episode of Leading Corporate Transformation, Professor Martin Glaum of WHU and Gori von Hirschhausen of PwC Germany are joined by Harald Wilhelm, CFO of the Mercedes Benz Group. In their conversation about the fundamental changes within the In this episode of Leading Corporate Transformation, Professor Martin Glaum of WHU and Gori von Hirschhausen of PwC Germany are joined by Harald Wilhelm, CFO of the Mercedes Benz Group. In their conversation about the fundamental changes within the Mercedes Benz Group in times of transformation, Harald Wilhelm explains the 6-pillar strategy the company is pursuing and goes into more detail about their transition to e-mobility. He also addresses the question of how better financial services can be integrated into the company and which specific requirements he identifies in his own finance function at Mercedes Benz Group. While listening to this episode, you will also get insights about the Chinese market as a competitor in electricity and the significance of ESG for Mercedes Benz Group.

In this new episode of Leading Corporate Transformation, Prof. Dr. Martin Glaum (WHU) and Gori von Hirschhausen (PwC) together with their guest Christian Ladurner, CFO of Hensoldt AG, talk about Hensoldt's operation model, business structure and product portfolio. Christian also answers the question of what challenges exist for a defence company like Hensoldt in the areas of supply chain bottlenecks and inflation and how the company is dealing with them. Together, the three financial experts also shed light on topics such as ESG, the EU taxonomy and the importance of M&A activities for Hensoldt.