Interview with Reinhold Geilsdörfer

"Promote education, share knowledge, venture future” is the guiding principle of the Foundation named after the German entrepreneur Dieter Schwarz, founder and owner of the supermarket chain Lidl and of the Schwarz-Gruppe. Created in 1999 and based in Heilbronn, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation supports a wide range of opportunities in the fields of Education and Science.

You have decided to support HEC Paris on a long-term basis, can you explain your approach? 
Our aim is to identify potential; on this basis, we develop visions that we implement in a sustainable way. We promote education and science with a focus on lifelong learning. In the area of Science, we would like to expand cooperation between universities in order to strengthen Heilbronn's international visibility.

What are the common objectives pursued by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and HEC Paris / the HEC Foundation? 
HEC is one of the leading business schools worldwide. Many renowned companies, also from Germany, qualify their young executives within the framework of the HEC's excellent executive programmes. In order to secure this expertise for the companies in the Heilbronn-Franken region and due to the already existing cooperation between HEC and TUM, it was obvious to start the development of an international university partnership with HEC.
 
Why are "Family business, entrepreneurship & innovation, digital transformation" key subjects?
The Heilbronn-Franken region is home to many family businesses that are facing major challenges in the area of digital transformation. In order to maintain the future viability of our region, we would like to support these companies in the transformation process. This is why these topics are particularly important to us as a foundation.