Henkel Vice President Peter Florenz Visited NADS of RUC

On February 20, 2019, Mr. Peter Florenz, the vice president of Henkel AG & Company, and Mr. Yu Jiang, the director of government relations and public affairs at Henkel (China), visited the National Academy of Development and Strategy, RUC (NADS). A panel discussion was held by Xu Qinhua, the deputy Dean of NADS, Ma Liang, assistant to Dean of NADS, Professor Yin Heng, a research fellow of NADS, Sun Tao, the director of local cooperation, and Zou Jingxian, a research fellow of NADS.

Followed by showing appreciation for the favorable reception from NADS, Mr. Florenz first introduced the history and major business of Henkel, the corresponding development in China, and the purpose of the company– creating sustainable value. As a multinational corporation (MNC), Henkel’s operations are largely influenced by the changes in international and domestic politics as well as economic environment. Connecting with Chinese top think tanks would greatly contribute to understanding international economic and trade cooperation, the trade relations of Sino-U.S. and Sino-Europe, as well as the China’s attitudes towards the role of global supply chains, which in turn benefits corporate business in China. Henkel is optimistic about the future economic development of China and NADS is the first top think tank they have visited. Henkel would love to be the bridge between China and Germany, or even Europe, by conducting deep and active cooperation with NADS.

Xu welcomed the Mr. Florenz’s team and briefly described the development of NADS. Two parties then discussed how Henkel and other MNCs would be affected by China’s macroeconomic trends, macroeconomic adjustment, government-business relations, as well as the changes in political and economic environment domestically and overseas, especially against the backdrop of the US-China trade war. In the end, both parties expressed high expectations for future collaboration.

Henkel AG & Company, KGaA, is a German chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is a multinational company active both in the consumer and industrial sector. Founded in 1876, the DAX 30 company is organized into three globally operating business units including Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care, Adhesive Technologies, where it is ranked the world’s number one adhesives producer. Henkel established its Asian-Pacific headquarter in Shanghai with more than 5,000 employees, 20 plants and offices. In 2013, the world’s biggest adhesives plant was built in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park, where Henkel’s adhesive technology innovation center was established in 2015.