MBS Homecoming 2026
You are here: The Mannheim Experience » Alumni » Events
Welcome to the MBS Alumni Homecoming 2026
Homecoming is one of the highlights of the MBS event calendar. This year we are celebrating with Alumni from across all programs and cohorts for one weekend long.
Join us for a refreshed Homecoming weekend full of connection, learning, and celebration on July 10th and 11th.
We will start on Friday evening with our exclusive Homecoming Fireside Chat for a smaller group of alumni, followed on Saturday by our Homecoming Conference in the SCC. Those sessions will focus on different topics, such as automotive, consulting, entrepreneurship, finance and leadership. Our Homecoming Organizing Committee is also joined by our Company Chapters at BASF, Merck and SAP, who will organize a 90-minutes-session as well. Anyone interested in participating is welcome to get involved.
The weekend wraps up with our traditional Homecoming Summer Party at a new location, where around 400 network members are expected, providing a perfect chance to celebrate together. This new location by the harbour calls for a White Party. Dress code: white attire.
We will update you with more information on the agenda and speakers on this website, so stay tuned!
Overview
Date
Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, 2026
Location
Study and Conference Center, Mannheim Business School & Manufaktur Mannheim for our traditional Homecoming Summer Party
Content
Friday evening: Fireside Chat
Saturday morning till afternoon: Homecoming Conference
Saturday evening: Homecoming Summer Party
Bring a Plus One?
YES - the same rate applies!
Agenda 2026
- 05:30 PM: Homecoming Fireside Chat with Dr. Livio Tedeschi, President Agricultural Solutions at BASF SE (ESSEC & Mannheim EMBA 2008)
Homecoming Conference at the Study and Conference Center:
- 09:00 AM: 1st Slot
- 10:45 AM: 2nd Slot
- 12:15 PM: Lunch
- 01:15 PM: 3rd Slot
- 03:00 PM: 4th Slot
The Conference will cover talks or panels on the following topics: Automotive, Chemicals, Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare, Leadership and Technology. All of the slots are organized by fellow Mannheimers from our Alumni Homecoming Committee.
- 06:00 PM: Homecoming Summer Party with Alumni and current Participants at Manufaktur Mannheim – the perfect opportunity to reconnect with classmates or get to know more fellow Mannheimers*. This new location by the harbour calls for a White Party. Dress code: white attire.
*If your class plans to reunite with one another at our Summer Party, please write to: alumni@mannheim-business-school.com. Then we will reserve a table for your class.
The Summer Party is included in the Homecoming package, but you can also book it seperately. You can find more information on that on our Summer Party website.
Ticket prices and deadlines
Ticket prices for all three events are meant to cover food and drinks, either fully or partially.
- Tickets for the Homecoming Fireside Chat run at €79.99 with availability limited to 25 alumni. Tickets are sold after the "first come, first served" principle.
For the other two events we have a tiered pricing system and you can also purchase a ticket for your plus one:
- Early-bird tickets for the Homecoming Conference run at a reduced price of €29,99 until March 31.
- From April 1 to June 30 tickets are available at the full price of €39,99.
- For the Homecoming Summer Party, early-bird tickets are available at the greatly reduced price of €69,99 until March 31.
- From April 1 to June 30 the Summer Party tickets are available at the reduced price of €89,99.
- Last minute tickets for the Summer Party can be purchased from July 1 to the evening of the party itself for the regular price of €109,99.
Homecoming Fireside Chat - Friday, July 10
We are delighted to open our Homecoming weekend with an exclusive fireside chat featuring Dr. Livio Tedeschi, who just got appointed to the BASF Board of Executive Directors effective May 1, 2026 with a responsibility for the Agricultural Solutions segment. He will be in a conversation with our Chief Marketing Officer, Kai Stenzel, where you will gain unique insights into leadership, career journeys, and the challenges shaping today’s business landscape.
Following the conversation, a buffet will be served, offering the perfect opportunity to continue the dialogue, connect with our guest, and get to know the other participants of the Homecoming weekend.
Participation is limited to 25 people to ensure an open, engaging, and welcoming atmosphere, so early registration is recommended.
Homecoming Conference: Leadership Panel
Transformation doesn’t start with structures—it starts with the leader.
In this panel, leaders from different generations share the real identity shifts, expectation tensions, and cultural choices that shaped how they lead through change. Honest stories, sharp contrasts, and practical takeaways make leadership transformation tangible, human, and immediately relevant.
Our panelists are:
- Gerrit Brinkmann, Teamlead Software Engineering at IONITY (Part-Time MBA 2024)
- Kristiina Coenen, Chief Innovation Officer at Deloitte Germany (Mannheim Master of Accounting Taxation, Taxation Track 2015)
- Nadja Scherer, Managing Director at Peyer Group (ESSEC & Mannheim EMBA 2018)
- Gaspar van Elmbt, Founder and CEO of VA Imaging (Mannheim EMBA 2017)
Homecoming Summer Party 2026
Our new Homecoming Summer Party Location: Manufaktur Mannheim
Homecoming Organizing Committee
We are proud to introduce this year’s Homecoming Organizing Committee, an initiative created to give our #MannheimerForLife community more opportunities to shape, contribute to, and actively participate in the Homecoming experience.
The committee brings together graduates from a variety of industries who will design the content for our Homecoming Conference on Saturday, July 11. Each topic chapter, staffed by several alumni, is responsible for organizing a 90-minute session in one of our focus areas: Automotive, Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Finance and Leadership. Our Homecoming Organizing Committee is further joined by our Company Chapters at BASF and SAP, who will also organize a 90-minutes slot. They will develop engaging panels or talks that reflect the interests and expertise of our community. Additional members of the committee will be added as we continue to expand the team and refine the event. We look forward to introducing them soon and welcoming even more support from our community.
If you are interested in speaking at our Homecoming, feel free to contact the alumni responsible for the chapter that fits your profile.
We look forward to sharing the final program and topics with you in spring.
BASF Chapter
Eugen Thiessen
Global Category Buyer Raw Materials - Castor Oil and Derivates, BASF SE (Part-Time MBA 2023)
Find him on LinkedInBASF Chapter
Consulting Chapter
Consulting Chapter
Mathias Rica
Manager Technology Strategy at Deloitte Consulting (Part-Time MMA 2023)
Find him on LinkedInEntrepreneurship Chapter
Konstantin Shcherbina
Founder and General Manager at SKIY31 GmbH (Mannheim & Tongji EMBA 2018)
Find him on LinkedInEntrepreneurship Chapter
Entrepreneurship Chapter
Finance Chapter
Automotive Chapter
Abhijit Bahirat
Platform Technical Manager at Aptiv (ESSEC & Mannheim EMBA 2024)
Find him on LinkedInAutomotive Chapter
Victoria Strezova
Director Business Development (Automotive) at Goode EIS (Suzhou) Corp. Ltd. (ESSEC & Mannheim EMBA 2024)
Find her on LinkedInAutomotive Chapter
Leadership Chapter
Leadership Chapter
Britta Layendecker
Member of the Management Board & CFO - Segment Industrial Quality & Research at ZEISS (MEMBA 17)
Find her on LinkedInMerck Chapter
Tamara Brckalo
Director, Strategic Project Management & Chief of Staff to the Group Chef S&T Officer Laura Matz at Merck Group, (MEMBA 2025)
Find her on LinkedInSAP Chapter
Sebastian Derkau
Business Operations/ Central Services/ Strategic Programs at SAP SE (MEMBA 2023)
Find him on LinkedInSAP Chapter
SAP Chapter
Photography
more members to come
Information on Hotels & Accomodation
Our contingency at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel has already expired, but Mannheim Business School can also offer a company rate for many different Hotels in Mannheim. If you are interested in using one of our company rates, please write to alumni@mannheim-business-school.com. We are happy to assist you.
Impressions of the Previous Homecoming
Contact
MANNHEIM BUSINESS SCHOOL (MBS)
Located in the heart of the German and European economy, Mannheim Business School (MBS), the umbrella organization for management education at the University of Mannheim, is considered to be one of the leading institutions of its kind in Germany and is continuously ranked as Germany’s #1.
MBS MERCHANDISE SHOP
