The Gentz Lecture 2025: Investing in integrity 

September 11, 2025, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
ESMT Berlin, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin

This event will take place on campus. To attend the event on-site, please register using the form below. 

The Gentz Lecture is a new flagship event at ESMT Berlin, held during student inauguration to set the tone for a purpose-driven academic journey. Designed to inspire from day one, the lecture explores the vital themes of ethics, trust, and responsible leadership in today’s business world. 

The inaugural 2025 lecture will be delivered by Professor Andreas Suchanek, a leading authority on business ethics from HHL Leipzig. Renowned for his research on trust and long-term value creation, Suchanek will share insights on how and why ethical leadership matters in these turbulent times. His talk will challenge conventional thinking and empower students to become the responsible leaders the world needs. 

The event features an interactive Q&A session and a networking reception, creating space for lively conversations among students, faculty, and professionals. It is a unique opportunity for students to engage with thought leaders and kick-start a purpose-driven journey at ESMT. 

Established through the generosity of the Gentz family, the Ingrid and Manfred Gentz Chair in Business and Society advances responsible leadership through research and teaching, with a focus on ethics and trust in business. The Gentz Lecture is a signature initiative of the Chair,  bringing its mission to life by connecting academic insight with real-world challenges.

Agenda

About the speakers 

Gianluca Carnabuci is a professor of organizational behavior at ESMT Berlin, where he holds the Ingrid and Manfred Gentz Chair in Business and Society and serves as director of research. His research focuses on how informal networks shape the flow of information and knowledge within organizations, influencing innovation and leadership effectiveness. Prior to joining ESMT in 2016, he held academic positions at the University of Lugano and Bocconi University. He earned his PhD in social and behavioral sciences from the University of Amsterdam. At ESMT, he teaches courses on organizational behavior, leadership, and network dynamics. Gianluca is also a senior editor at Organization Science, contributing to the advancement of research in organizational studies 

Dr. Manfred Gentz is a distinguished business leader and advocate for ethical leadership, with a career spanning executive roles at Daimler-Benz and Deutsche Bank. Together with his wife Ingrid, he is a key supporter of the Ingrid and Manfred Gentz Chair in Business and Society at ESMT Berlin. 

Julia Langdon is assistant professor of Organizational Behavior at ESMT Berlin and holds the Volkswagen Group Junior Chair for Ethics and Diversity in Organizations. She earned her PhD in management from London Business School. Her research focuses on preventing unethical behavior in organizations by examining the psychological justifications people use, as well as stakeholder responses to ethical scandals. She also studies how moral beliefs influence behavior and explores interventions to promote ethics and inclusion, particularly for disabled professionals, using experimental and field methods. 

Andreas Suchanek is a leading expert in business ethics and holds the Dr. Werner Jackstädt Chair of Economic and Business Ethics at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. His research focuses on trust, corporate responsibility, and sustainable value creation. Suchanek is renowned for his principle of “investing in the conditions of social cooperation for mutual advantage,” emphasizing that ethical leadership and trust are strategic assets in today's business environment. He also chairs the Foundation of the Wittenberg Center for Global Ethics, promoting responsible leadership across sectors.