Life and career
Hans-Olaf Henkel was born and raised in Hamburg. He studied at the Akademie für Gemeinwirtschaft,which merged as Universität für Wirtschaft und Politik (HWP) with Hamburg University in 2005. Henkel joined IBM Germany in 1962. From September 1993 to December 1994 he was head of IBM Europe,Middle East and Africa with his office in Paris. From 1995 to 2000 he was the president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). [1]
He was president of the Leibniz Association from 2001 to 2005. Henkel is also a board member of the Deutscher Familienverband (German family association).
Until 2013 Henkel was a member of the supervisory board of Bayer AG,Continental AG,DaimlerChrysler Aerospace,Ringier AG and other companies. He resigned from these positions to join the Alternative for Germany in 2014,which he left again in 2015. Since November 2000 he is a Professor of International Management at the University of Mannheim. [1]
In November 2010,Henkel suggested in an article in the German magazine FOCUS to split the Eurozone into two currencies,a northern and a southern one,which received a lot of attention. In 2011 he proposed in an article in the Financial Times ,that "Austria,Finland,Germany and the Netherlands should leave the eurozone" and "create a new currency leaving the euro where it is". [2]
Henkel received an Honorary Doctor's degree from the Technical University of Dresden. The WWF named him "Environmental Manager of the Year". As author of numerous publications he received among other awards the international writer's award "Corine". [1]
Currently,he is on the industry and investment panel of the think tank OMFIF's advisory board,where he is regularly involved in meetings regarding the financial and monetary system.
Commitment to human rights
Hans-Olaf Henkel has been a member of the Amnesty International (AI) human rights organization since 1996,and he has been donating to the organization all the income raised from the publication of his books for many years. On the occasion of his 60th birthday,he also donated 150,000 German marks to Amnesty International with a request "to strengthen the commitment to the rights of women,especially in the Islamic world."
In Cuba,Henkel championed the improvement of the human rights situation and in particular the abolition of the death penalty. He met regularly for discussions with Fidel Castro. The dialogue with Castro broke off in 2003 when he arrested 75 dissidents and executed three. Henkel protested strongly against this practice.
Henkel campaigned for the persecuted Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and initiated in 2011 the "Berliner Appell",which required the release of the artist then detained at an unknown location. In this context,Henkel criticized what he considered to be a low commitment to human rights and democracy in China of German companies.
In his commitment to human rights and democracy,Henkel is convinced that free trade and the market economy inevitably improve the human rights and democratic rights of a country.
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