WHU Strongly Represented in “40 Under 40” Ranking

Six (future) alumni of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management have now been honored as some of Germany’s top talents in business. In a recently issued ranking, experts from business magazine Capital recognized Julian Fieres (PhD, 2024), Eva Valentina Kempf (née Goebel; BSc 2013), Lucas Kollmann (BSc, 2014), Annika von Mutius (BSc, 2016; MSc, 2018; PhD, 2021), Lukas Rehling (PT-MBA, 2022), and David Rosskamp (MLB, 2009) as being among the 40 brightest minds in their field under the age of 40. What do they all have in common? They are or will soon become graduates of WHU—and they are already having a profound effect on the German economy.

Julian Fieres is currently a research assistant and doctoral student at WHU’s Chair of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technological Transformation. He also serves as Vice President Transformation, Strategy, Sustainability & Digital in the Electrified Powertrain Technology division at ZF Group. Additionally, he is slated to teach in the Sustainable Transformation course in WHU’s Global Online MBA program, where he is sure to make good use of his expertise.

Eva Valentina Kempf is Managing Partner at Henkelhausen, a specialist for drive and energy solutions. She has previously worked as a Senior Consultant at Capgemini Invent, among others.

Lucas Kollmann graduated from WHU with a bachelor’s degree in 2014. He then went on to work as an investment professional at Blackstone and General Atlantic, and as a technology and media investor at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. He is now CEO of Lunar X in Berlin.

Dr. Annika von Mutius founded the tech start-up EMPiON in 2021 together with co-founder Dr. Larissa Leitner (BSc, 2012; PhD, 2021). The company specializes in human resources and is developing a robo-advisor for the qualified worker market. By quantifying company values and cultures, EMPiON facilitates automated headhunting.

At just 28 years old, Lukas Rehling has become the youngest ever Vice President of Global Sales for the Home and Garden division at Bosch. He completed the part-time MBA program at WHU in 2022.

David Rosskamp graduated from the Master of Law and Business program, offered by WHU together with Bucerius Law School, in 2009. He then worked as an investor at several companies. Together with his business partner Mario Lebherz, he later founded Magnetic, through which they now invest in emerging technologies worldwide.

Read the full Capital “40 under 40” ranking 2023 here (behind paywall, in German).

Check out the interview conducted with co-founder Annika von Mutius: Five Questions for EMPiON.