On November 3, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Malte Schubbe, AI Product Owner in the Commercial AI Excellence team at Hapag-Lloyd, to our B2B Marketing course. He gave students an inside look at how one of the world’s largest container shipping companies uses AI to stand out in a commodity market. Mr. Schubbe opened with a simple question: why would a customer choose Hapag-Lloyd over its competitors? When everyone ships the same box, price alone makes no difference. Instead, quality wins, and customers judge the entire experience. Since B2B decisions are made by a whole buying center, this value has to be designed for each role involved. Mr. Schubbe showed how AI can create value along this customer journey, both directly in the service and behind the scenes. A real highlight was the integrated case study, in which students stepped into the role of Hapag-Lloyd’s commercial AI team. In small groups, they openly debated which of three competing AI ideas deserved funding, before comparing their choices with the decision Hapag-Lloyd actually made. We sincerely thank Malte Schubbe for this insightful and engaging session and look forward to welcoming him again as part of our guest lecture series.

On October 27, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Joerg Kaché, Key Account and Business Development Manager at Panasonic, to our B2B Marketing course. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience at Panasonic and in marketing, Mr. Kaché offered students a candid look at what it takes to win and keep industrial customers.He opened the session by asking students to estimate the scope and timelines of a B2B sales role themselves. Many were surprised to learn that it typically takes one and a half to two and a half years from a first presentation to a customer inquiry. A salesperson’s job, Mr. Kaché explained, is to be present the moment a new project emerges.The heart of the lecture was relationship marketing. Mr. Kaché highlighted that long-standing partnerships bring rising expectations and constant renegotiation, yet this is also where the greatest value lies. Understanding what a customer truly needs, beyond what is written in a tender, requires close and continuous communication. He also showed how companies measure and enhance customer satisfaction across the entire customer life cycle.Throughout the session, Mr. Kaché engaged students in lively discussions and illustrated his points with real examples from customer projects, giving them a realistic sense of the dimensions of industrial customer relationships.His central message was clear: most customers are lost because a supplier was not honest with them. Honesty makes business relationships human and is the only reliable way to earn lasting trust.We sincerely thank Joerg Kaché for this engaging and highly interactive session and look forward to welcoming him again as part of our guest lecture series.