NextGen CFO Awards 2025 celebrate exceptional talent.

Düsseldorf, 3 June 2025 – The Handelsblatt CFO Summit is one of the most important industry gatherings for CFOs in German-speaking countries. Key trends, challenges and future prospects for the finance function are discussed here, with a particular focus on strategic role development, transformation and leadership. Against this backdrop, the CFO Foundation presented the NextGen CFO Awards for the second time, recognising and promoting exceptional young talent within the internal finance function.

Two career paths, one goal: shaping the future.

The NextGen CFO Awards are granted in two categories:

• The NextGen CFO Young Talent Award recognises ambitious finance professionals with four to six years' experience who demonstrate leadership potential.
• The NextGen CFO Executive Award recognises experienced executives with at least 12 years' professional experience who have had a clear strategic impact within their company.

Both awards include a partial scholarship for WHU's renowned part-time degree programmes: the Part-Time MBA, the Global Online MBA and the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA. After preliminary and intermediate rounds, three finalists in each category were selected to determine the winner.

NextGen CFO Young Talent Award 2025: Christoph Neujahr convinces the jury

Christoph Neujahr, Head of CFO Office at Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf, won the award after a close competition. He was nominated by Tim Mundhenke, the company's CFO, who was also present at the ceremony.

“Christoph brings a wealth of financial expertise, remarkable openness, and a creative drive — qualities that I believe are essential for future CFO profiles. 'These days, it's not just about numbers; it's about having the ability to take responsibility for culture, change and the bigger picture.”
– Tim Mundhenke, CFO Peek & Cloppenburg

"I see this award as recognition of not only my personal achievements, but also the collective performance of our team at P&C. I am particularly grateful to those who have encouraged, challenged, and propelled me forward with their questions. Ultimately, individual expertise alone is not enough; you also need a tailwind, and I had that."
– Christoph Neujahr

Lisa Kristina Emme (FLEX Capital) and Eduardo Diaz (Bayer) also reached the final thanks to their strong performances. Tobias Naumann, member of the Board of Trustees of the CFO Stiftung and CFO SAP Germany, recognized their outstanding performance in his laudatory speech. As finalists, both will also receive a partial scholarship for the part-time MBA program at WHU.

NextGen CFO Executive Award 2025: Evelyn Yogisaputra from Galderma was the winner!

Evelyn Yogisaputra, Head of Group FP&A and Controlling at Galderma, received the NextGen CFO Executive Award 2025. Yogisaputra was nominated by CFO Thomas Dittrich and impressed in the final round with her strategic clarity, deep industry expertise, and positive leadership style.

“This award is an honor and a pivotal milestone in my professional journey. I also see this recognition as a sign of the progress that has been made and still needs to be made towards more diversity in leadership positions. I look forward to gaining new perspectives with the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA and and actively shaping the finance function of the future as part of the CFO community.”
– Evelyn Yogisaputra

“Evelyn combines strong technical expertise with real business insight. The combination of sharp execution, inclusive leadership and a clear focus on people is what makes her stand out. She brings impact and integrity to everything she does.”
– Thomas Dittrich, CFO Galderma

The other two finalists also received great applause and praise for their strong performances: Valentina Maaß (Aldi Nord) and Mert Yaycıoğlu (Enerjisa Üretim). Unfortunately, both were unable to attend the award ceremony for business reasons, but they were still congratulated by the jury for reaching the final and recognised for their achievements. They will also receive a partial scholarship to the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA programme.
 

The nomination period for the NextGen CFO Awards 2026 starts on 1 September 2025.

In his closing statement, Gori von Hirschhausen, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the CFO Stiftung and Partner at PwC, emphasised that this year's finalists and award winners “represent a new generation of financial leaders — strategically strong, personally clear, and with a genuine desire for change and leadership”. He thanked all CFOs who had recognised these talents through their nominations and commitment. He also encouraged people to keep their eyes open for promising candidates for the 2026 NextGen CFO Awards and to actively nominate them.

The nomination period begins on 1 September 2025. Further information can soon be found on cfostiftung.de