ESG: Sustainability as a Strategic Success Factor

As the founder and long-standing CEO of Kirchhoff Consult AG, Klaus R. Kirchhoff looks back on 30 years of experience in advising companies, including DAX/MDAX and SDAX corporations as well as companies in the USA, China, India, Turkey, Austria, Switzerland, and Israel. In recent years, he and his team have developed ESG strategies for several companies. Klaus Rainer Kirchhoff is the initiator of the "Good Company Rankings" of the DAX30 companies and author of several books on sustainability.

Sönke Niefünd is Managing Director at the private banking group Merck Finck a Quintet Private Bank. With over 20 years of experience in the private banking and portfolio management industry, he has specialized in sustainable asset management strategies for institutional investors, among others. He holds a Master of Science in Strategy and Finance from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and is a graduate of the University of Hamburg. He is a sought-after expert for media outlets such as Handelsblatt, FAZ, and SZ, and has published several academic papers.

Julian A. von Pressentin implemented the EU Disclosure Regulation (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation) as a portfolio manager at a large German asset owner. Additionally, he has obtained the ESG Investing Certificate from the CFA Institute. As a consultant in the ESG/Sustainability sector, he supports companies in preparing for mandatory sustainability reporting within the EU (CSRD). Since early 2023, Mr. von Pressentin has been a member of the EFRAG expert group for the development of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for small and medium-sized enterprises.