Remembering Professor Christina Günther

WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management regrets to announce that, following a hard-fought and courageous battle against a serious medical condition, Professor Christina Günther, head of the IHK Chair for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2025, surrounded by her closest family.

After studying international economics at Maastricht University, Professor Günther earned her doctorate (“Promotion”) at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in 2009. She later wrote her doctoral thesis while at the Max Plank Institute of Economics in Jena, focusing primarily on the drivers of innovation and the competitiveness of SMEs active in Germany’s machine tool industry.

In 2010, having completed her doctoral work, she joined the faculty at WHU as the school’s Assistant Professor of Industrial and Innovation Economics. Four years later, she was named chairholder of the school’s IHK Chair for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

Throughout the course of her academic career, Professor Günther earned several international awards for her outstanding research. She acted as visiting scholar at both the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain, and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) in Monterrey, Mexico. And her passion and dedication—to her field, as well as to domestic and international networking—was a driving force behind numerous projects and partnerships involving SMEs, particularly “hidden champions.”

In addition to her role as educator, Professor Günther was an active member of the Executive Board at the Academy of Management, Entrepreneurship Division. She also lent her support to numerous academic conferences and acted as a review for several academic journals. 

From her work on the school’s Code of Conduct to her contributions to the joint Master in Law & Business Program with Bucerius Law School, Professor Günther, a staunch believer in equality, has left an indelible impression on WHU and the scientific community. With her creative mindset and openness to new ideas, she encouraged her students to think critically and for themselves.

Dr. Christina Günther was an outstanding scholar passionate about her field. She will be remembered for both her capabilities and her warmth, as somebody who inspired those around her, time and time again, with her open mind and kindness.

You will find a personal tribute to Christina Günther here.