Claus Hipp: “I find the basic concept of Jacobs University convincing”
Photo: Professor Claus Hipp at his visit to Jacobs University: From left to right: Dean Werner Nau, University President Katja Windt, Professor Claus Hipp, Bernadett Edelenyi, Dean Arvid Kappas
March 1, 2017
For decades his family’s name has stood for healthy baby food. For what else does Professor Claus Hipp stand? He revealed that recently in a guest lecture to students of Jacobs University.
Under the title “The Honorable Businessman” Dr. Hipp gave a lecture on the topic of ethics in business life. His lecture was an appeal to act with responsibility, regardless of legal requirements. Because ethics, says the businessman, is an inner attitude – and not something that can be forced by regulations. “Honorable business action does not come from more government, but through honorable action,” says Hipp. Accordingly, he is sceptical about attempts to affect the personnel policies of companies through laws. “The promotion of women should be a matter of the heart – even for companies that don’t sell baby food.”
After the lecture, a lively discussion ensued among Hipp and the students. “I quickly saw that they had not come unprepared,” said Hipp after the lecture. Many of them took advantage of the opportunity to talk to the businessman after the lecture, in order to learn more about his company and possible job opportunities: “Of course I am also interested in getting graduates of Jacobs University excited about our company, and I look forward to being contacted by the students,” emphasized Hipp, who was here at the invitation of the University President Professor Katja Windt. “I find the basic concept of Jacobs University convincing. The students here are not just taught technical knowledge. They learn, in the midst of an international community, how to link knowledge from various scientific disciplines together. Such a breadth of knowledge is becoming increasingly important in the work world.”
Claus Hipp is Managing Director of the HiPP Group, which is headquartered in Pfaffenhofen, Bavaria. In 1967 the doctor of law took over the company from his father and expanded it into a leading producer of baby food. Professionally and privately, Hipp works to promote ecological behavior. In close cooperation with environmental and ecological organizations, the company advocates a future without gene technology and also works toward the protection of biodiversity in the initiative “Biodiversity in Good Company”. As one of the largest food manufacturers in Europe, Hipp introduced an environmental management system in accordance with EMAS in 1995. Since then, the water consumption per ton of product has been reduced by two-thirds and the energy consumption per ton of product by more than half.
Contact:
Thomas Joppig | Brand Management, Marketing & Communications
t.joppig [at] jacobs-university.de ( )| Tel.: +49 421 200-4504