On September 4, 2026, Henkel’s corporate headquarters in Düsseldorf once again served as the venue for the annual scholarship recipient gathering hosted by the Dr. Jost Henkel Foundation. Scholarship recipients, mentors, and representatives of the foundation came together to share insights, exchange experiences, and gain new inspiration for the future.

In the presence of Dr. Christoph Henkel (Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors), Dr. Alexander Frey (Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board), Sylvie Nicol (Member of the Executive Board of Henkel and the Foundation), Bertrand Conquéret (Chief Procurement Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and President of Henkel Global Supply Chain), Agnès Thée (Corporate Vice President of Global Sustainability at Henkel Consumer Brands), Birgit Helten-Kindlein (Member of the Henkel Works Council), and Prof. Dr. Thomas J. J. Müller (Chair of Organic Chemistry at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf), the Foundation’s scholarship recipients and alumni enjoyed a day filled with exciting presentations, discussion sessions, and practical insights.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Christoph Henkel made it clear why this day holds special significance for the foundation: “Our greatest asset is educating and supporting young people,” he stated. The subsequent presentations built upon this theme.

Presentations that encourage, inspire, and focus on the future

Sylvie Nicol, member of the Executive Board of Henkel and the foundation, looked back on her career path in her keynote speech and emphasized how curiosity, courage, and continuous reinvention shaped her journey. She passed these values on to the students in attendance and encouraged them, noting that there is no set path but that one should listen to oneself. “You need to know yourself and know where you can make an impact,” she advised the guests.

Bertrand Conquéret (Chief Procurement Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and President of Henkel Global Supply Chain) invited the talented students to inspire and change our world with their curiosity: “Change the world – this is an invitation!” He particularly highlighted sustainability as a key driver of innovation and encouraged the talented students in attendance to continue questioning issues in the future. In this way, he explained, this challenge can be seen as an opportunity and overcome with the necessary curiosity. His message to the guests: “The future is unwritten. Make the change!”

Dorothee Brinkmann (Head of Market Strategy Aerospace) and Sarah Kaebisch (Director KAM Aerospace EIMEA) built on this with their presentation “Ready for Take-Off: How Henkel Powers Modern Aircraft.” In their exploration of the aviation sector, they discussed how Henkel serves this industry. With products that may seem unremarkable at first glance, Henkel manages to create enormous added value with a sustainable impact in the field of air mobility. Both speakers illustrated how Henkel’s products in aircraft manufacturing as well as in maintenance contribute to making aviation more sustainable and efficient in the future.

Alena Nagornyak, Global Head of Talent & Performance and DEI at Henkel, also looked to the future: In her presentation, she illustrated how employees with unique skills will continue to make a difference in the age of artificial intelligence. Among other things, she noted that critical thinking and adaptability are essential qualities in this context.

Exchange and Insights into the Professional World
Following the diverse presentations, the lunch break provided an opportunity for extensive networking.

The afternoon offered guests the chance to delve deeper into various business units on the Holthausen plant grounds: Through various guided tours, guests were able to visit, among other things, the detergent production facility, the Innovation and Customer Center of Henkel Adhesive Technologies, and the Henkel Archive.

To wrap up the event, various information booths provided an opportunity to strike up conversations, learn about other career paths, and once again illustrate what this year’s Dr. Jost Henkel Foundation’s get-together stands for: personal encounters characterized by exchange, inspiration, and curiosity about the future.