“Your perseverance, determination, and focus have brought you to this moment. Over the past two years, you’ve faced tough exams, intense group projects, and enough PowerPoint presentations to last a lifetime. And you managed all of that while balancing demanding careers and personal lives.”
With these words, Managing Director Christian Jansen opened the ceremony, capturing the essence of the graduates’ journey. His speech set the tone for a day marked by pride, gratitude, and a strong sense of shared accomplishment. He also marked a significant milestone: the graduation of the 1,000th GBS alum. Building on this spirit, commencement speaker and Goethe University alumnus Kilian Weiss, who serves as President of Veeva Link and OpenData, SVP Data Cloud International, took the stage to share reflections from his own path as a start-up founder, speaking candidly about setbacks, difficult life choices, and the lasting value of investing in relationships.
The program then moved to heartfelt contributions from student representatives of Goethe Business School’s Master and MBA programs, who spoke about challenges they overcame, friendships they formed, and lessons they learned beyond the classroom. A particularly moving speech came from the Pharma MBA class representatives, who reflected on the dedication it takes to pursue a degree while balancing demanding careers and personal lives. Some students, they noted, commuted weekly from cities like Berlin and Hamburg, while others juggled studies alongside parenting responsibilities. These experiences, the speaker emphasized, highlighted the effort required and the strength of the community they built – a network of support, perseverance, and shared commitment. Far from being obstacles, these stories defined their journey and shaped who they had become, both personally and professionally.
Recognizing Teaching Excellence
Another highlight of the day was the yearly Best Teaching Awards presentation. Based on student evaluations, these awards honor faculty members who truly inspired their students and made a lasting impact. Norbert Gittfried was recognized in the Master in Finance program for his “Compliance in Financial Institutions” course. At the same time, Prof. Dr. Kevin Bauer received the award in the Digital Transformation MBA for teaching “Applied Deep Learning”. Dr. Peter Greiner, Dr. Claus Weichel, Dr. Alexander Frenzel, and Thomas Gorgodian were honored for their joint class Marketing & Sales in the Pharma MBA.
The ceremony continued with special recognitions: Eric McCloe from Academic Records introduced this year’s Goethe Scholars, followed by the presentation of the Beta Gamma Sigma nominees by the Associate Managing Director and Director of Master Programs at Goethe Business School, Dr. Anja Weigt. After these honors, the spotlight turned to the graduates. One by one, they were welcomed on stage and personally congratulated by their Academic Directors.
Lastly, Manuel Bierwirth, a graduate of the Pharma MBA program and an active member of the GBS alumni community, warmly welcomed everyone into the alumni network. As a member of the GBS Alumni Council for the past three years, he also had the honor of inviting four newly elected council members on stage, congratulating them as they marked their graduation this year.
A Festive Farewell
Following the official program, graduates, guests, and faculty came together for a celebratory reception in the foyer of the Casino building on Campus Westend. One thing was clear between photos, hugs, and farewell wishes: this was not just the end of a program, but the beginning of a new chapter. To the Class of 2024 and 2025 – congratulations. We’re proud to call you part of the GBS alumni community and look forward to seeing what’s next on your journey.