Charles Sternberg, Assistant Editor04.08.21
Wolfgang König, currently category president Kellogg North America, will join the Henkel Management Board as executive vice president for the Beauty Care business effective June 1, 2021. He succeeds Jens-Martin Schwärzler who will not be available for another term.
“On behalf of our Supervisory Board and Shareholders' Committee, I am very glad to appoint Wolfgang König as new Member of the Henkel Management Board and Executive Vice President for our Beauty Care business. He has broad international management and leadership experience in leading consumer goods companies and adds valuable expertise in marketing, sales and innovation and a strong performance focus. We are very much looking forward to welcoming him to the Henkel team,” said Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, chairwoman of the Henkel Shareholders’ Committee and Supervisory Board.
Experience
König has over 25 years’ experience in the FMCG industry, both in mature and emerging markets. He started his career in 1996 at Beiersdorf, where he held various Brand and Key Account management roles in Germany and the US. In 2005, he joined Colgate-Palmolive in Germany as marketing director for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Subsequently, he moved to the US as global marketing director for the Personal Care division and to Mexico where he became general manager Marketing & Innovation for the LATAM region, with responsibility for all categories, including Personal Care and Oral Care.
In 2012, König took over the position as general manager for the Northern Europe region at Kellogg Company with commercial responsibility across 23 countries, including Germany, the Nordics and Central Eastern Europe. Following various roles with increasing management responsibility at Kellogg Company in Europe and the US and he was eventually appointed category president Kellogg North America, responsible for a $6.7 billon business across all categories as well as central functions such as R&D and Marketing.
König holds a master’s degree in Business/Economics from the University of Kassel.
“On behalf of our Supervisory Board and Shareholders' Committee, I am very glad to appoint Wolfgang König as new Member of the Henkel Management Board and Executive Vice President for our Beauty Care business. He has broad international management and leadership experience in leading consumer goods companies and adds valuable expertise in marketing, sales and innovation and a strong performance focus. We are very much looking forward to welcoming him to the Henkel team,” said Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, chairwoman of the Henkel Shareholders’ Committee and Supervisory Board.
Experience
König has over 25 years’ experience in the FMCG industry, both in mature and emerging markets. He started his career in 1996 at Beiersdorf, where he held various Brand and Key Account management roles in Germany and the US. In 2005, he joined Colgate-Palmolive in Germany as marketing director for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Subsequently, he moved to the US as global marketing director for the Personal Care division and to Mexico where he became general manager Marketing & Innovation for the LATAM region, with responsibility for all categories, including Personal Care and Oral Care.
In 2012, König took over the position as general manager for the Northern Europe region at Kellogg Company with commercial responsibility across 23 countries, including Germany, the Nordics and Central Eastern Europe. Following various roles with increasing management responsibility at Kellogg Company in Europe and the US and he was eventually appointed category president Kellogg North America, responsible for a $6.7 billon business across all categories as well as central functions such as R&D and Marketing.
König holds a master’s degree in Business/Economics from the University of Kassel.
