Background
Hans-Olaf Henkel was born and raised in Hamburg.
economist manager politician university professor writer
Hans-Olaf Henkel was born and raised in Hamburg.
He studied at the Akademie für Gemeinwirtschaft, which merged as Universität für Wirtschaft und Politik (HWP) with the Hamburg University in 2005.
He was a manager at International Business Machines Corporation, President of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI, Federation of German Industries) and President of the Leibniz Association. Henkel joined International Business Machines Corporation Germany in 1962. From September 1993 to December 1994 he was head of International Business Machines Corporation Europe, Middle East and Africa with his office in Paris.
From 1995 to 2000 he was president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
He was President of the Leibniz Association from 2001 to 2005. He resigned from these positions to join the Alternative for Germany in 2014.
Since November 2000 he lectures as Professor of International Management at the University of Mannheim. In November 2010, Henkel suggested in an article in the German magazine Focus to split the Eurozone into two currencies, a northern and a southern one which was paid a lot of attention.
In 2011 he proposed in an article in the Financial Times, that "Austria, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands should leave the eurozone" and "create a new currency leaving the euro where it is".
Henkel received an Honorary Doctor’s degree from the Technical University of Dresden. Currently, he is on the advisory board of OMFIF where he is regularly involved in meetings regarding the financial and monetary system.
He is a Member of the European Parliament, representing the political party Alliance for Progress and Renewal (ALFA) as part of the European Conservatives and Reformists.
Henkel is a board member of the Deutscher Familienverband (German family association). Until 2013 Henkel was a member of the Supervisory Board of Bayer AG, Continental AG, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, Ringier AG and other companies.