Donors’ & Friends’ Circle: Frankfurt School celebrates its friends and supporters
First-hand insights into latest research, personal conversations with members of the Management Board, the faculty and alumni: on 15th September 2026, Frankfurt School welcomed its friends and donors to an exclusive reception.
Sincere thanks to all our donors, friends, and partners
Professor Dr Nils Stieglitz, President and CEO of Frankfurt School, thanked the guests for their support and commitment. He emphasized that Frankfurt School thrived on the diverse engagement of its partners. The sense of community was key for Frankfurt School's identity. Frankfurt School has developed exceptionally well: it has significantly strengthened its position as a research-focused business school, gained greater international visibility and has established numerous new areas of research and study. He underlined: “We haven’t reached our goal yet!” and expressed the ambition to establish Frankfurt School amongst the leading European business schools. This required freedom, drive, energy and resources! He was confident: “With you at our side, we have laid the foundations to become one of the top schools in Europe.” He asked the guests to continue to think about their relationship with Frankfurt School and to take the next step together.
Angelika Werner, Vice President Strategic Relations, hosted the evening and introduced Professor Dr Ronald Gleich. He holds a professorship in Management Practice and Control and heads the Centre for Performance Management & Controlling.
From AI pilot projects to operations
In his keynote speech “Success factors for the AI transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)”, he presented the latest research findings on how companies can successfully implement artificial intelligence to generate values. His starting point was that, amongst the current SMEs in Germany, there was often no shortage of ideas when it came to using AI. Rather, determining suitable applications, scaling successful pilot projects and managing the transformation effectively were the challenges.
The findings are based on a survey among 330 organizations. Five key success factors were identified: strategy and leadership, processes and implementation, technology and infrastructure, ethics and governance, and staff and culture. Contributions generated by processes and implementation, strategy and leadership, and technology and infrastructure were particularly significant.
Professor Gleich summarized his findings as an interplay of strategic clarity, implementation capability and technical scalability – underpinned by governance and an organization that equip staff to drive the transformation. He presented three recommendations for companies: to manage AI as a business portfolio rather than a collection of individual tools; to set the conditions for scaling up, rather than constantly launching new pilot projects; and to embed the management and organizational competence of AI permanently.
An exchange that enriches both sides
Conversations in the Executive Lounge created an opportunity to gain new perspectives and fostered connections within the community.
The evening thus showcased the unique value of the Donors’ & Friends’ Circle: friends and donors back Frankfurt School and remain directly connected to its research, key topics, and the people who shape the business university.
The Donors’ & Friends’ Circle recognizes the commitment of Frankfurt School’s donors and creates space for personal conversations with faculty, the Management Board, and other members of the Frankfurt School community. Friends, partners and donors enjoy exclusive access to research conferences, can attend selected events, and benefit from a diverse network.