College of Charleston to Host Eighth Annual German-American Business Summit

The German-American Business Summit is returning for its eighth year on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. The summit – presented by the College of Charleston School of Business, German Studies Program and the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs – has stimulated collaboration between the German industry and the university to create job and internship pipelines since 2017. This year’s summit sponsor is Mercedes-Benz Vans. According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, there are more than 200 German companies in South Carolina directly responsible for more than 42,000 jobs.

The 2024 summit will be located in the College of Charleston School of Business Beatty Center, located at 5 Liberty Street. The event begins with a job and internship expo for students at 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Representatives from German-American businesses will engage with workforce-ready talent, including students studying business, communication, computer science, engineering and more.

Registration for the conference portion, which is open to the public, begins at 1 p.m., and the event begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Auditorium. Participants will hear from business leaders on pressing issues in German-American industry.

Panel discussions will focus on AI and process management. Speakers include Meg Lanza, head of technology, US at BSH Home Appliances Group, Bosch; Jonathan Dawley, president and CEO, KION; and Andreas Heft, CFO, IFA Group.

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

The eighth 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 go.cofc.edu/GABS.

The summit is made possible by the following generous sponsors: Mercedes-Benz Vans (summit sponsor); BMW, IFA, Mankiewicz Coatings and P3 (gold sponsors); and Hubner, Ingenics, Parker Poe, and Software Projects Consulting (maroon sponsors).