|  | Beiersdorf managers volunteer at Hamburg schoolsFebruary 2009 saw the kick-off event for the yearlong cooperative dialog between 15 managers from Beiersdorf, Deutsche Bank, KPMG, and heads of all types of schools. As part of this exchange, Beiersdorf's Corporate Social Responsibility department is working together with the "Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT Hamburg", the State of Hamburg Working Group for Schools and Business. |
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The three "Partners in Leadership": Dorle Bahr, Andreas Schierning, and Christine Weidmann | | Beiersdorf employees volunteer
The Beiersdorf employees Dorle Bahr (SC Customer Development), Andreas Schierning (Inbound Supply), and Christine Weidmann (Head of Procurement 3PP/Development) are involved in the initiative, giving both their skills and their free time. After the first meeting with the school heads, Andreas Schierning explained the background to why he had volunteered: "Today’s schoolchildren are tomorrow’s colleagues. |
| | Perhaps I can make a small contribution to aligning our requirements with the schools' education goals. I am looking forward to the dialog on management with Renate Wiegandt from the Otto-Hahn Gesamtschule, a comprehensive school in Hamburg-Jenfeld. Ms. Wiegandt is a highly committed school director with a focus on natural science."
Joint skills development by schools and business
The driving force behind the project is the need for schools to change and assume more independence. This poses a new challenge for school heads, as the "enterprise managers": They need leadership and management skills to successfully deal with issues relating to staff selection and development, marketing, and financial control. "I believe that cooperation between schools and businesses is extremely important in allowing businesses to voice their expectations on education and skills development at an early stage," explained Christine Weidmann. "I look forward to extending my horizon in my exchanges with Thomas Grübler from the Gesamtschule Fischbek, and to finding out what has changed since my school days." | |
Successfully shaping change processes
Managers in the private sector are used to constantly adapting to new conditions. They can help schools successfully shape change processes and young people prepare for the challenges of working life. In addition, schools are an ideal discussion partner for businesses because, by definition, they address the complexity of all of life's issues – philosophy, history, evolution, technology, society, people management, and personality. "The openness with which the school heads and managers approached each other was a positive surprise, as was their agreement in the areas they discussed – change management, personnel management, communication, and budgetary and finance issues." | | 
The two initiators: Doris Wenzel O’Connor from the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT Hamburg and Manuela Rousseau, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility |
| | "I look forward to an exciting and equal discussion with "my" school head, Martin Heusler from the Gesamtschule Winterhude," said Dorle Bahr, describing her experiences.
Further information is available on the website of the "Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT Hamburg" at www.Schule-Wirtschaft-Hamburg.de (in German only).
Corporate volunteering
Corporate volunteering is defined as a commitment made by a company to society by donating its employees' skills and manpower. Charitable organizations profit from the business expertise provided by the company's staff, while the latter gain experience and establish contacts from which they benefit both personally and professionally. This makes corporate volunteering a win-win-win situation: for society, for companies, and for the employees involved.
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