CofC to Host Seventh Annual German-American Business Summit

Higher education and industry will meet again when the College of Charleston hosts the seventh annual German-American Business Summit on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

The summit, presented by the College of Charleston German studies program, School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs and School of Business, has stimulated collaboration and discussion between the German industry and the university to create job and internship pipelines since 2017. This year’s summit sponsor is Mercedes-Benz Vans.

“The German-American Business summit is a shining example of the College of Charleston’s commitment to preparing tomorrow’s workforce with an emphasis on both experiential learning and global fluency,” notes the summit’s founder, Morgan Koerner, chair of the Department of German and Russian Studies. “It is a wonderful annual opportunity for both our faculty and students to network with and learn from our friends in German industry in South Carolina and the region.”

More than 160 German companies have found a home in South Carolina and are directly responsible for more than 40,000 jobs.

The 2023 summit kicks off on the College of Charleston campus in the Beatty Center atrium – home to the College of Charleston School of Business – with a job and internship expo from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Representatives from German-American businesses will engage with workforce-ready talent, including students studying business, communication, computer science, engineering and more.

The conference portion of the event begins at 2 p.m. in the Stern Center Ballroom located at 71 George Street. Participants will hear from business leaders on pressing issues in German-American industry.

This year’s keynote address will come from Jody Resnick, vice president of revenue – North America at Enlighted/Siemens entitled, “A Lower Carbon Future: Corporate Responsibility Through Technology at Siemens.”

Knudt Flor, senior vice president for innovation and industry engagement at the College of Charleston, will moderate a panel discussion on German industry efforts in decarbonization and clean energy. Panelists include:

Oliver Haase, Senior Vice President for Purchasing at BMW MC USA

David Stenstroem, Vice President and Plant Manager, Manufacturing Americas at Volvo Cars

Danny Kassis, Vice President for Customer Relations and Renewables at Dominion Energy

Marcel Schaefer, Senior Program Coordinator at Fraunhofer USA

Marcus Groeger, Senior Vice President and Technical Plant Manager at Bosch

The event will conclude with a networking reception at 5:15 p.m.

The seventh annual German-American Business Summit is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members interested in learning more about German businesses.

To register for the summit, visit the event website at go.cofc.edu/GABS.