Kellogg-WHU Class of 2025 Celebrates Graduation at Montabaur Castle

This past October 31 was a day that the 30-some students of the Executive MBA Program offered jointly by the Kellogg School of Management (at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA) and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management will never forget. The class of professionals, who hail from all around the world, gathered together that day at the historic Montabaur Castle to celebrate all they had accomplished—and to once again make the transition from student to graduate.

By its very nature, the internationally oriented Kellogg-WHU EMBA, designed for experienced business professionals, is a program that celebrates continued education, places high value on life-long learning, and rewards one’s pursuit of academic excellence. In his welcoming address, Professor Christian Andres, Dean of WHU, noted how the graduates, with their proven business acumen and hunger for knowledge, are poised to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. “I believe that now, more than ever, we need leaders who engage—who take responsibility not only for their companies and shareholders, but for society at large,” he said. “You, our newest graduates, are part of that mission.”

“I’m deeply inspired by the diversity of talent and perspectives in this cohort and by your ability to collaborate and lead across differences,” said Colette Feldges, Program Director of Executive MBA at Kellogg School of Management, who had travelled all the way from Illinois to attend the ceremony. And WHU’s Professor Jürgen Weigand, the program’s Academic Director, drove home the point that, much like education itself, “graduation is not an arrival; it is a passage.”

Dr. Angela Kerek, herself an alumna of the Kellogg-WHU Program, served as the day’s commencement speaker. The professional legal advocate and transformation coach took to the stage to speak about drive, the desire to succeed, and what it truly means “to win.” And in addition to the graduates, there were winners among the faculty as well, with Professor Yuval Kalish, Chair of Leadership, Networks, and Organizations at WHU, and Professor Karl Schmedders, Visiting Professor at Kellogg, each taking home the Best Teacher Award.

After a round of inspiring and humorous speeches, the graduates, dressed in traditional caps and gowns bearing the schools’ signature colors, were called to the stage to officially receive their hard-earned degrees. The graduates also took a moment to thank the team behind the EMBA Program’s success.

The ceremony came to a celebratory finish with the insightful words of Peter Volk, speaker for the EMBA Class of 2025, who spoke of challenge and perseverance. “We were told that balancing full-time work, studies, and home life would be impossible. […] But we discovered along the way that growth does not happen when things are easy. It happens when you’re scared, but you keep going anyway.” From his point of view, he and his fellow graduates are now ready to pursue true change. 

Since its inception in 1997, the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA, currently under the direction of apl. Professor Katrin Baedorf, has been a pioneer of continued education in Europe. As part of a network that spans the globe, the program empowers business professionals to reach higher and to lead their respective teams with purpose, openness, and courage.

Click here to read more about the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA.