In Port and Learning

In this episode, So-Young Kim and Katja Wiedemann talk with René Vorpahl, Change Manager at Airbus, about the future of digital logistics. With over 25 years at Airbus, René shares how digitalization is reshaping supply chains from creating digital twins of physical processes to streamlining warehouse flows and reducing waste. He explains the challenges of integrating new systems, ensuring data security, and bringing people along i...

In this episode, MBA students Ina Litterst and Agata Florek welcome Lucy Cooper, Project Lead for Refill, and Steve Hanks, National Account Manager for Customer Partnerships at CHEP. Together, they explore how circularity is more than a buzzword – it’s the DNA of CHEP’s business model. Lucy and Steve explain how CHEP’s share-and-reuse approach reduces packaging waste, how refill pilots in UK supermarkets are pioneering scalable sol...

In this episode, SuMO students Zakaria Nefaoui and Spencer Artman are joined by Nelson Zampieri, Lean Six Sigma Manager at Pandora, who shares his journey from a law graduate in Brazil to an operations leader in Europe. Nelson explains how Lean principles like Kaizen, PDCA, and standardization are applied in practice, why people and mindset matter more than tools, and how coaching and teaching fuel successful transformations. The d...

In this episode, SuMO students Merry Haarder and Thomas Ponath talk with Thomas Hougaard, Senior Vice President at IFU (Investment Fund for Developing Countries), about the role of sustainable finance in accelerating the global green transition. Drawing on IFU’s portfolio and Thomas’s own experience, the conversation explores both the opportunities and challenges of impact investing in developing economies. Thomas shares concrete e...

His passion for logistics and sustainability is only comparable to his passion for people. Ferdinard Quaye, recent participant of KLU’s Master’s in Sustainable Management and Operations, gives us first-hand insights into sustainability practices across the world. From his homeland, Ghana, to Germany, Ferdinard looks back into his educational journey and how sustainability is met in different societies. How can we encourage green te...

Endless curiosity and fascination for exactitude. These two traits made KLU Professor Arne Heinold embark on a life of research to find the optimal solution for very complex problems. Get to know his journey from studying at KLU to teaching the next generations about AI, transportation, and operations, from Hamburg to Vietnam. See how pure mathematics, logistics, data science, and business analytics can deeply influence to make our...

Heard of love at first sight? This is more like “friendship at first talk”. Exchanging a few words was enough for David and Michael to know they had found a real soulmate, matching each other’s craziest ideas. From gaming together to becoming business partners, they have gone through it all, and have the greatest tips for a healthy relationship. Throw in the mix drones, AI, unstoppable energy, laughter, and a bit of insanity, and y...

Diversity and inclusion are not synonyms, but they are interconnected. As a manager, employee, or simply as a human being it is key to understand this connection and have the tools to integrate diverse people. How can you become more inclusive in your day-to-day life? Prof. Gazdag, our expert on the topic, gives us in this episode clear achievable steps to make this happen and create for us all a better work environment, and a more...

The right attitude and a good pitch. Those tools made Alan Coronado stand out at KLU's annual Career Connect recruiting event and get hired by Sysmex, an international company specializing in medical devices. Sysmex hosted Alan for his mandatory internship. In this experience, he further developed his knowledge of sustainability, learned about the day-to-day life of a big corporation, and of course, made a lot of new contacts. Alan...

In this episode of the "Sustainability Talks" series, Jonathan Schünke and Lidija Peters from the Master in Sustainable Management and Operations (SuMO) dive into the practical aspects of achieving sustainability goals in the logistics industry. Their guest is Anders Christensen, Vice President of Logistics for Nordics at DFDS, a leading ferry and transport company based in Denmark. Anders shares insights into DFDS's ambitious sust...

In this episode of the "Sustainability Talks" series students Jonathan Schünke and Sophie Drakopoulos of the MSc in Sustainable Management Operations (SuMO) dive into the critical topic of sustainability collaboration in the logistics industry. They are joined by Christoph Wolff, CEO of the Smart Freight Centre, a leading non-profit organization in climate action for the logistics sector. The discussion explores the importance of c...

Constantly highlighted by our students as one of the best evenings spent at KLU, this event brings the community together to learn through short films about leadership and organizational behavior. It serves as a celebration of the skills of the students, the engaging learning philosophy of our university, and the feeling of community for all KLU members. In this episode, the creators of the KLU Movie Night, professors van Quaquebek...

The war in Ukraine forced her to leave her studies in Kyiv and find a safe place to continue her life. However, no army can destroy the extraordinary energy of Oleksandra and her will to grow, thrive and give back to her community. Now inside the walls of KLU Campus, she is still the extremely engaged student she already was in Ukraine, and her story of overcoming all kinds of challenges with a bold and positive attitude has conque...

He went through every department, working hand in hand with the employees for over a year to understand every nook and cranny of the company he leads. Kind of like the “Undercover boss” but he was not really meaning to hide. He does not have a “regular day” and his phone is his best ally. But there is much more to the life of a high executive, and Mark, CEO of Entelmann Gruppe, shares all the details of his years in charge of the c...