Building connections. Fostering knowledge. Shaping the future.

Stefania Abbondi

Chair

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Stefania Abbondi (MBA, HHL) chairs the society. An HHL alumna and founder of Känguru Salsa, she sets the GdF's direction and works to keep the HHL entrepreneur community connected and growing.

Dr. Steffen Zoller

Vice Chair

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Dr. Steffen Zoller studied at HHL from 2003 to 2005, specializing in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. After two years in digital consulting, he founded Betreut.de (later acquired by Care.com) in 2007 and subsequently launched more than ten additional companies. Alongside his entrepreneurial activities, Steffen earned his doctorate from the University of Witten/Herdecke and currently serves on several supervisory and advisory boards.

Dr. Jenny Müller von Bennigsen

Board

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Dr. Jenny Müller von Bennigsen completed her doctoral studies under Prof. Dr. Kirchgeorg at HHL between 2008 and 2012, during which she also taught Marketing and Statistics. After spending five years in corporate strategy at the REWE Group, she founded a food-tech startup developing solutions that extend the freshness of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables and help reduce food waste. Today, Jenny continues this work through a joint venture with the food and beverage company Döhler.

Philipp Ewald

Board

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Philipp Ewald has been a member of the GdF Board since January 1, 2026. He brings extensive experience in real estate development, management consulting, and entrepreneurship. His professional focus lies particularly in growth strategies, public funding programs, and energy efficiency. Since 2021, he has been working independently, advising companies and projects in these areas.

As Managing Director, his primary responsibilities center on the development of integrated energy concepts and the strategic advancement of real estate projects. In addition, his background as a management consultant has provided him with broad expertise in project management, digital transformation, and strategic development. Philipp holds an MBA from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and a degree from TU Dresden, combining technical expertise with a strong business perspective.

In his role as a board member, Philipp aims to further strengthen the association's strategic positioning and ensure its long-term sustainability. He is particularly committed to fostering sustainable growth, modern organizational structures, and a practical, member-focused approach, thereby contributing to the continued success of the GdF.

Thor Stephan Stubner

Board

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Stephan Stubner has been closely connected to HHL since 1998. As one of the school's earliest students, he has accompanied HHL's development for more than 25 years in a variety of roles.

After several years in consulting with The Boston Consulting Group and multiple entrepreneurial ventures, Stephan returned to HHL in 2007, where he played a key role in building and expanding the school's entrepreneurship program. Since 2012, he has held the Porsche AG Chair for Strategic Management and Digital Entrepreneurship and currently serves as Co-Lead of HHL's Research Group Strategic Entrepreneurship together with Dominik Kanbach, supervising a community of more than 60 doctoral researchers.

During his time at HHL, Stephan also helped develop the DIGITAL SPACE incubator and continues to support numerous startups both as a private investor and through the HHL-affiliated venture capital firm Monkfish Equity.

Stephan has also been actively involved in HHL's governance, having served for many years on the GdF Board. Following the completion of his term as Rector, he is particularly pleased to once again devote more of his time and energy to the GdF. In his current board role, he focuses primarily on strengthening engagement and outreach among HHL's entrepreneurial alumni community.

Dr. Dr. Justinus C. Pech

Board

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Dr. Dr. Justinus Pech is Academic Director of HHL's Part-time MBA and a Certified Business Coach (ICF). He completed a doctorate in economics at HHL on the relevance of business ethics for corporate management, and a doctorate in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

At HHL he teaches leadership in the Master of Science programme and advises entrepreneurs on business succession.

Christian Klemenz

Board

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Christian is the Founder and CEO of Bierothek Group GmbH, where he combines his passion for entrepreneurship with his enthusiasm for beer culture.

An HHL alumnus holding an M.Sc. degree, Christian has remained closely connected to the school ever since graduating. His entrepreneurial journey began during an exchange semester toward the end of his studies and led him directly from the classroom into entrepreneurship.

Through his investment company, Brand Passion Ventures GmbH, Christian is involved in a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures across sectors including engineering, hospitality, and media. He invests in brands and supports founders strategically, operationally, and with genuine passion.

He also contributes his expertise as a long-serving board member of Bamberg StartUps e.V. and as an elected member of the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) committee, where he actively advocates for entrepreneurs, SMEs, and business networking initiatives.

As a lecturer and keynote speaker, Christian regularly shares his knowledge with students, founders, and executives. Since studying in China and India, he has maintained a strong focus on Asia and international markets.

During the new board term, Christian intends to focus primarily on strengthening the connection between successful HHL entrepreneurs and the GdF.