Thursday Talks
Digital, exclusive and international: in Obermark's Thursday Talks, exceptional entrepreneurs and experts from a wide range of specialist fields talk about their work, share their experiences and answer questions from participants from different regions of the world. The international community inspires and informs each other and is constantly growing.
We would like to thank the speakers of the Obermark Thursday Talks:
David E. Kovel, Managing Partner, Kirby McInerny LLP, USA
Mary Inman, Partner, Whistleblower Partners LLP, USA
“Reflections on Whistleblowing laws in the United States, and how those laws may be expanding worldwide.”
30.1.2025
Professor Dr Thomas Mayer, Economist and Founding Director, Flossbach von Storch Research Institute, Germany
“Disruption – in politics, technology, and economy.”
16.1.2025
Philip Burchard, CEO, Merz Group, Germany
“Merz Group – How a German family-owned company with a 116-year-old tradition remains competitive in today’s world.”
19.12.2024
Monika Ribar, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Swiss Federal Railways SBB, Switzerland
“Rail is an integral part of the mobility of the future.”
21.11.2024
Dr Marc Bitzer, CEO, Whirlpool Corporation, USA
“From Global to Multi-Regional.”
10.10.2024
Tim Schäcker, Influencer, Artist, "Elevator Boy", Serial Entrepreneur, Germany
“How to become famous with elevator videos, and why social media needs to become more social again.”
1.2.2024
Enzo Enea, CEO and landscape architect, Enea GmbH, Switzerland
“The value of landscape architecture in times of climate change.”
30.11.2023
Dr René Deist, Senior VP of Internal Digitalization, ZF Group, Germany
“Balancing ethics and efficiencies: The Generative AI journey at ZF Friedrichshafen.“
16.11.2023
Urs Wietlisbach, Co-Founder and Chairman, Partners Group AG, Blue Earth Capital AG
“Driving financial returns while addressing pressing societal and environmental challenges.“
5.10.2023
Rafael Laguna de la Vera, Founding Director, Federal Agency for Leap Innovation,
"Disruptive innovation is changing the world – with or without us."
7.9.2023
Lutz Goebel, Head, National Regulatory Control Council of Germany; Member, Presidium of the family interest group „Die Familienunternehmer“,Germany
“Reduction of bureaucracy, better legislation and digitalization.”
20.7.2023
Manfred and Julian Gotta, Founder and Managing Directors, Gotta GmbH, Germany
“The importance of names for brands.”
29.6.2023
Philipp Kroschke, Managing Director, Christoph Kroschke GmbH, Germany
“Digitization of vehicle registration in Germany, from the perspective of Germany’s market leader.”
1.6.2023
Professor Dr Thomas Mayer, Economist and Founding Director, Flossbach von Storch Research Institute, Germany
“Zeitenwende – not only because of Russia.”
4.5.2023
Pablo Cairoli, Managing Director, Asset Managers Agente de Valores, Uruguay and Argentina
“Wealth management in an 100% inflation environment.”
6.4.2023
Georg Höfler, Chief Financial Officer, uvex group, Germany
“uvex group – a family business in transformation process.”
9.2.2023
Dan Milton Klein and Melissa Jones Briggs, Lecturers, Stanford University, USA
“The arts of leadership.”
26.1.2023
Anne-Sarah Panhard, Managing Director, Hermès Maison; President, Puiforcat, France
“Hermès Maison – an example of today’s challenges and opportunities within the luxury sector.”
12.1.2023
Gunnar Krüger, Chief Business Development Officer, APEX Group, Germany
“Hydrogen as a key enabler to achieve efficient decarbonisation.”
15.12.2022
Dr-Ing Christoph Beumer, Owner, BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
“Leadership@BEUMER: strategy, leadership culture and organisation.”
1.12.2022
Dr-Ing Georg Sick, HOLOPLOT GmbH, RATIONAL AG, Germany
“The emotional roller coaster ride of deep tech start-up financing –
exemplified by HOLOPLOT immersive audio environments.”
10.11.2022
Sven Scheffler, Managing Director, Ströer Digital Publishing; Chief Operating Officer, Ströer Content Group, Germany
“Transforming the dinosaur – building Germany’s media brand #1.”
20.10.2022
Antonio De Matteis, Owner and Managing Director, Kiton Ciro Paone S.p.A., Italy
“The best of the best + 1. Style, not fashion. Tradition and strategy.”
29.9.2022
Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board, Singapore
“Singapore’s current state and future strategy. Opportunities in Singapore and Asia.”
30.6.2022
Professor Lars-Hendrik Röller, Professor of Economics and former Chief Economic Adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, ESMT Berlin, Germany
“Economic challenges for Germany and Europe after the Zeitenwende.”
9.6.2022
Insa Rücker, Owner, Molkerei Rücker GmbH, Germany
“How a 130-year-old family-owned dairy can respond to the trend towards oat milk and the power of multinational conglomerates.”
19.5.2022
Fabrice Zumbrunnen, President of the General Management, Migros, Switzerland
“Strategy and transformation of the Migros Group.”
28.4.2022
Dr Suzanne Thoma, Managing Director, BKW AG, Switzerland
“Decentralised management.”
7.4.2022
Jayant Davar, Founder, Co-Chairman, and Managing Director Sandhar Technologies Ltd., India
“An entrepreneur’s journey in India.”
24.3.2022
Pauline Lindwall, Board Member, Swedish Match AB, Duni AB and EIT Food (European Union), Sweden and France
“Mistakes companies make in digital transformation – and how Boards can help mitigate them.”
10.3.2022
Lutz Goebel, Managing Director, Henkelhausen Group, Germany
“Environmental leadership – responsibility and opportunities for leaders and corporations.”
17.2.2022
Jan-Berend Holzapfel, Owner and Managing Director, J.T. Ronnefeldt KG, Germany
“199 years in the tea business – challenges and opportunities for each of the 8 generations.”
3.2.2022
Michael Cervell, Senior Vice President Group Strategy and Business Development, Oriflame, Sweden and Switzerland
“Fundamentals and recent challenges of a network marketing business model in the beauty sector.”
13.1.2022
Professor Dr Dirk Boll, President, Christie’s Ltd. EMEA, UK and Germany
“Late adopters: How the pandemic digitalised the art markets.”
16.12.2021
Professor Dr Andreas Dombret, Former Management Board Member, Deutsche Bundesbank; Former Supervisory Board Member, European Central Bank, Germany
“The risks of climate change for banks – what needs to change?”
2.12.2021
Patrick Pruniaux, Managing Director, Ulysse Nardin AG and Girard-Perregaux AG, Switzerland
“Developing two Swiss luxury watchmaking maisons in modern times.”
11.11.2021
Chris Bridges-Taylor, Co-founder and Chairman, Board of Directors, Nazar Systems Inc, Brazil and US
“Food traceability systems: from farm to fork.”
20.5.2021
Freiherr Gerard von dem Bongart, Founder and Managing Director, V-max GmbH, Germany
„Erneuerbare Energien und der Weg zur E-Mobility.“
22.7.2021
Henrik Gockel, Gründer und Geschäftsführer, Prime Time Fitness, Deutschland
„Gesundheit und Fitness: Bedeutung und Chancen für den Einzelnen, die Gesellschaft, Unternehmer und Investoren.“
8.7.2021
Wenceslao Casares, Gründer und Vorstand, Xapo Holdings Limited, USA
„Bitcoin: Was ist das, wofür ist es gut – und warum ich dafür und damit arbeite.“
24.6.2021
Prof Dr Thomas Mayer, Economist and Founding Director, Flossbach von Storch Research Institute, Germany
“Why probabilistic reasoning often fails us. How individuals, society and business can deal with Radical Uncertainty.“
10.6.2021
Charles S. Rothschild, Co-founder and Chairman, Board of Directors of Nazar Systems Inc, Brazil and USA
“Food traceability systems: from farm to fork.“
20.5.2021
Alexander Krautkrämer, Owner and Managing Director, BERICAP Holding GmbH, Germany
“80 billion plastic caps and closures per annum for the beverage, food and chemical industry – challenges and opportunities.”
6.5.2021
Björn Schütte, Owner and Managing Director, Franz Josef Schütte GmbH, Germany
“What do the companies of SEE Holding do and what makes the group successful?”
22.4.2021
Henry Van der Sloot, Founder and Chairman, Vortex Production Services Inc, Canada
“The transformation from a supplier to the oil and gas industry into a provider of digital services.”
8.4.2021
Lin Rogers, Founder and Chairman, Rogers Electric Inc, USA
“How to build a company from zero to the largest self-performing electrical, data and lighting contractor in the US, and how to keep growing.”
25.3.2021
Professor Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin, Germany
“The impact of COVID-19 on economies, businesses and society.”
19.1.2021
Dr Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist, Berenberg Bank, Germany
“Theses on economic developments in 2021.”
14.12.2020
Insights
Every company and each employee are unique and have a distinct history. The following texts offer an impression of the motivation, perspective and convictions of the people behind the stories.
