Leadership across Borders
Global Market Leaders Summit in Beijing
Press Release
Beijing, May 25, 2025
3,000 decision-makers from business and politics. 120 European CEOs. A global stage.
From May 25 to 27, 2025, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle was invited to speak at the 2nd International World Market Leader Forum in Beijing – an initiative of Dr. Walter Döring, former German Minister of Economic Affairs and founder of the Academy of German World Market Leaders.
The forum in Beijing is regarded as the international counterpart to the renowned “World Market Leader Summit” held in Schwäbisch Hall – Germany’s premier event for hidden champions and the largest national gathering of world-leading companies, political leaders, and economic thinkers, organized by WirtschaftsWoche and the Handelsblatt Media Group.
In his bilingual keynote – delivered in both German and Chinese – Fabian Hänle addressed a pressing question for the future: What defines the success of medium-sized world market leaders in a world in flux?
His response:
Excellence with integrity – innovation with a global mindset – dialogue over division.
“We don’t always have to agree – but only through mutual respect and genuine listening can we build the foundation for shared solutions to the challenges of our time.”
Fabian Hänle Meets with China’s Minister of Commerce Ling Ji
Press Release
Beijing, May 27, 2025
On May 27, 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) hosted a meeting with a select delegation of German business and political leaders. The delegation was received by Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative.
The delegation was led by Dr. Walter Döring, former Minister of Economic Affairs and founder of the Academy of German World Market Leaders. Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle was among the 20 participants who addressed key concerns of German companies operating in China at the highest governmental level.
Minister Ling demonstrated openness and a strong willingness to engage. Over the course of more than two hours, he offered a constructive dialogue and assured the group that he would be personally accessible for support in the event of specific challenges faced by German businesses in China.
The meeting gained particular depth and diplomatic weight through the presence of experienced political figures such as Michael Müller, Hans-Peter Friedrich, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and Heinrich von Pierer.
A personal highlight emerged from the shared connection to Taicang—the city from which Minister Ling hails and where Fabian Hänle lived and worked for over a decade. As Managing Director, he built up the Chinese subsidiary of a leading German industrial company from the ground up, developing it into a market leader. This common background enabled a trusted and fluent exchange in Mandarin toward the end of the meeting.
As early as 2019, Prof. Hänle had already participated in a similarly high-level dialogue: At the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, he took part in a strategic roundtable in Shanghai—just prior to Macron’s meeting with President Xi. Since then, he has been in regular exchange with key decision-makers in both business and politics—nationally and internationally.
Executive Leadership at FATH Group
Fabian Hänle serves as Chief Sales Officer (CSO) and member of the Executive Board of the internationally active FATH Group. Since 2022, he has provided strategic advisory support to the owning family and management team; in 2024, he assumed a senior executive leadership role, guiding the group’s continued development at the top level.
The FATH Group unites market-leading specialists in industrial components and automation technologies: FATH GmbH, the global market leader in components for aluminum profile systems and intralogistics solutions; Flowsort, a pioneer in modular sorting technology for intralogistics; and CEMEC, a high-tech company delivering precision mechanical, mechatronic, and optomechanical systems and assemblies for applications in industry, medical technology, science, and aerospace.
Professor at the Antwerp Management School
Since 2024, Fabian Hänle has served as Professor at Antwerp Management School, where he has been teaching since 2021. In addition, he lectures at leading universities and business schools around the world. What drives him most is the opportunity to inspire people, cultivate conscious leadership, and positively shape transformation.
Guest on the Handelsblatt Podcast
Düsseldorf. In the Handelsblatt podcast “So klingt Wirtschaft” (“This is What Economy Sounds Like”), Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle joins host Simone Nissen to discuss the dynamics of China’s emerging middle market – and what German companies can learn from it.
The conversation centers on new opportunities, growing risks, and ways to foster better economic cooperation between Germany and China. The Handelsblatt is Germany's leading business paper.
Engaging with Leading Voices of German Industry
Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle is in regular dialogue with senior leaders of Germany’s industrial Mittelstand. His encounters include conversations with Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht (Herrenknecht AG), Dr. Stephan Mayer (TRUMPF), and Wolfgang Grupp senior (Trigema). His expertise is particularly valued at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and international growth.
Cover Story Featuring Fabian Hänle
In WirtschaftsWoche issue 16/2024, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle analyzes the geopolitical consequences of Western sanctions against China. Using the examples of the space and semiconductor industries, he illustrates how feedback effects emerge – and why strategic long-term thinking is crucial for both business and politics.
“This issue has boomeranged right back at us.”
– Fabian Hänle, China expert and strategic advisor
Keynote Speaker at the Leaders Network
As a speaker at the Leaders Network – the executive business club of manager magazin – Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle was invited multiple times in 2024, with appearances in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Stuttgart. The exclusive series features selected thought leaders and senior executives, including Günther H. Oettinger, Dr. Moritz Kraemer, and Erwin Staudt.
Frankfurt, 09.04.2024, Villa Bonn
Hamburg, 08.05.2024, Hanse Lounge
Stuttgart, 12.06.2024, Schloss Solitude
Exclusive Interview in WirtschaftsWoche
In an in-depth conversation with WirtschaftsWoche, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle analyzes key challenges and success factors in the international Mittelstand – with a particular focus on developments in Germany and China.
1st book publication: Wirtschaftserwachen
Wirtschaftserwachen - or Economic Awakening in English - takes readers on a journey to China. As the first book on the German market, we get to know a global player that is hardly known but affects us all: China's Mittelstand (SMEs) and family firms.
60% of the GDP and 70% of technological innovations in China are generated by SMEs. But who are they? What makes China's hidden champions of tomorrow tick? And how is this related to our future in Germany and the Western economy?
In his award-winning new book Fabian Hänle shows how we can deal more successfully with China and sustain our economic success.
"A groundbreaking contribution for business, politics and those interested in the world."
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hermann Simon
Bestselling author, Inventor of the Hidden Champions, and Founder and Honorary Chairman of Simon-Kucher & Partners
Founding of Dr. Hänle & Partners Consulting GmbH
With offices in Frankfurt, Balingen, and five major Chinese cities, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle advises decision-makers in the Mittelstand, global market leaders, and DAX-listed corporations through his international strategy consultancy.
The firm’s mission: to enable sustainable growth and strategic positioning – with a particular focus on global expansion and success in the Chinese market.
International Conference Speaker
Fabian Hänle is regularly invited to speak at international conferences across Europe, Asia, and North America. Highlights include a keynote at the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Brussels (2022), the 25th Euro-Asia Conference hosted by the Dublin Institute of Technology (2021), and the 10th International Engaged Management Scholarship Conference at the Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, USA (2020).
International Scientific Publications
Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle has published internationally on the global expansion of Chinese SMEs – with a special focus on the strategic and political dimensions of EU-China relations.
His research draws on over a decade of first-hand experience in China, including more than 100 in-depth interviews with executives of Chinese Hidden Champions and mid-sized firms.
The publications offer rare empirical insights into how political frameworks, industrial strategies, and bilateral relations influence the internationalization process – and what that means for Europe’s economic positioning in a multipolar world.
Publication 1
Publication 2
Publication 3
Doctoral Research on China’s Hidden Champions and International Economic Policy
Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle earned his doctorate part-time at the University of Antwerp and Antwerp Management School with a focus on the internationalization of Chinese Hidden Champions – particularly in relation to strategic objectives and global economic policy in the German-Chinese context.
He conducted over 100 personal in-depth interviews with senior executives of Chinese global market leaders and high-growth mid-sized companies. In addition, he authored the first systematic global study on the internationalization of China’s Mittelstand – based on the evaluation of more than 5,700 academic publications worldwide.
The research offers a rare insight into the mindsets, success factors, and geopolitical ambitions of China’s emerging economic power – and provides grounded impulses for rethinking European industrial strategy and enhancing economic sovereignty in an increasingly multipolar world.
Published in renowned peer-reviewed journals between 2021 and 2023, the work has been widely cited in academia and is gaining growing relevance among decision-makers in business and policy.
Key research contributions:
Systematic Review on the Internationalization of China’s Mittelstand
The world’s first comprehensive study based on a meta-analysis of 5,700+ international research papers.
Why Chinese Hidden Champions Expand Globally
Strategic analysis of internationalization paths among Chinese global leaders – with a focus on motives, state incentives, and external trade dynamics.
Government Partnerships Between China and Germany in a Global Context
A political-economic study of how bilateral cooperation shapes mid-sized enterprise expansion and influences the future direction of international economic policy.
CEO in China: Building a Market Leader from the Ground Up
From 2011 to 2021, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle served as Managing Director of the China subsidiary of Blickle – a German Hidden Champion and global leader in wheels and casters. In an intensely competitive market with over 3,000 local providers, he built the company from scratch into one of the country’s market leaders.
The journey began with a 100 m² office, minimal structures, and a small team. Over ten years, Hänle systematically developed sales, assembly, brand positioning, and customer relationships – guided by deep market insight, cultural sensitivity, and consistent strategic focus. Under his leadership, Blickle China became a benchmark for German Mittelstand excellence in the Chinese market.
Leading the entire build-up – from founding and operational management to strategic scaling – is considered one of the most defining entrepreneurial achievements of his career.
To this day, Hänle continues to advise the company strategically. Longstanding owner and CEO/President Reinhold Blickle acknowledges and appreciates this development in an exclusive interview featured in the book Wirtschaftserwachen (Economic Awakening).
Unique Experience of China
Since 2013, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle and his wife have celebrated Chinese New Year every year with the family – in a traditional setting, deeply rooted in Chinese culture.
The Guo grandparents (96 years) witnessed the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing. Their lifetime of experience and historical insight has become a treasured source of perspective for Fabian Hänle – shaping his deep appreciation for China not only as a market, but as a culture and living history.
A personal connection that goes beyond business – and opens doors where understanding matters most.
Marriage in China and Deep Cultural Insight
Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle is married to J. Guo, a globally successful Chinese entrepreneur. Their wedding took place in Shandong, surrounded by family – a celebration that was both traditional and cosmopolitan.
Through his wife’s business activities and her extensive network, Hänle gained early access to rare insights into China’s private sector as well as state-influenced economic structures. This personal and familial connection complements his professional perspective – and shapes his ability to understand and interpret China’s economic, political, and cultural dynamics with depth and authenticity.
Invited by President Emmanuel Macron
On November 4, 2019, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle accepted a personal invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend a high-level dialogue in Shanghai – held in the lead-up to official talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The roundtable brought together senior figures from politics, business, and supervisory boards, including the CEOs of BASF, Siemens, L’Oréal, and Louis Vuitton.
The event received international media coverage, with reports in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
Press release FAZ November 4, 2019
Press release French Embassy November 4, 2019
Press release NZZ November 4, 2019
CEO Roundtable with Senior Leaders from Business and Politics
In Shanghai, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle participated in a high-level CEO roundtable with leading figures from European industry and politics. The discussion focused on key challenges and strategic options for European companies operating in the Chinese market.
Participants included Anja Karliczek (Federal Minister of Germany, Merkel Cabinet IV), Bettina Schön-Behanzin (Vice President, EU Chamber of Commerce in China), Simone Pohl (Executive Director, German Chamber of Commerce in China), Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein (CEO, Volkswagen China), and Dr. Martin Brudermüller (Chairman of the Board, BASF SE).
Giving Back
Since 2019, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle and his wife support several non-profit initiatives in Asia and Europe. These include monthly school sponsorships for seven children in Nepal via Om Shivom Nepal e.V., as well as support for community projects in Germany and Bangladesh via Förderbrücke Balingen e.V. If you’re interested in joining or contributing to any of these initiatives, feel free to reach out.
Executive MBA with Distinction
Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle completed his Executive MBA at Mannheim Business School and Tongji University Shanghai with top honors – graduating as the top of his class.
To this day, he serves as a visiting professor at leading business schools around the world, working at the intersection of entrepreneurial practice, international leadership, and strategic development.
Fluent in Mandarin
Over the course of three years, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle spent his annual leave in a remote mountain town in northern China – living without Western infrastructure, hosted by an elderly Chinese couple. There, he immersed himself in everyday Mandarin, learning the language with patience, dedication, and deep cultural respect.
In 2015, he successfully passed the official HSK Level 5 exam (C1 equivalent) – a testament to his ability to understand China not only professionally, but also linguistically and humanly at a profound level.
Appointed China CEO at Age 26
In 2013, at just 26 years old, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle was appointed Managing Director of the newly founded China subsidiary of Blickle – a project he had been strategically preparing since 2011.
With full profit and loss responsibility, he built the company from the ground up – in a highly dynamic and competitive market with more than 3,000 local providers and demanding operating conditions.
Between 2013 and 2021, Blickle China grew under his leadership from a zero base to one of the country’s market leaders. This entrepreneurial achievement received broad recognition in industry publications and the business press.
Area Manager Asia – Early International Leadership
From 2010 to 2013, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle served as the youngest Area Manager in the history of Blickle – a global market leader in wheels and casters – with responsibility for sales and internationalization across the Asia-Pacific region.
In this role, he achieved a significant revenue increase of over 50% and proactively initiated the company’s market entry into China – a strategic move that later laid the foundation for the successful establishment of Blickle China.
International Business Studies with Global Practical Experience
From 2007 to 2010, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle studied International Business at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW). His international practical phases were completed at Blickle – the global market leader he would later shape as Area Manager Asia and China CEO.
His hands-on international working experience took him to France and Canada. For his academic and professional achievements, he was awarded a Baden-Württemberg Scholarship to study at the University of California, Santa Barbara (USA).
Early Life and Education
Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle was born in 1987 in Albstadt, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and grew up in nearby Balingen, where he completed both primary school and his university entrance qualification (Abitur).
From an early age, he enjoyed creative expression, reading with his family, being active in nature – and playing football with friends on the local pitch.
CV Fabian Hänle, MBA, Ph.D.
Business background:
As a CEO in China, Prof. Dr. Fabian Hänle spearheaded the growth of a German hidden champion for over a decade, elevating it from greenfield to market forerunner. Having served professional stints in the USA, Canada, and France as well, Fabian Hänle boasts a wealth of expertise in strategy, sales, and executive leadership roles. Thanks to his practical experience in China, coupled with his scientific, on-site PhD research and proficiency in Mandarin, he possesses unparalleled insights into the local mentality, culture, and authentic Chinese ethos.
Today, he is a Professor at the Antwerp Management School and serves as Managing Director and CSO on the board of a European technology leader. As an international keynote speaker, multiple book author and the founder of Dr. Hänle & Partners Consulting, he collaborates with decision-makers across DAX corporations, well-known family firms, and global market leaders.
Vision
Fabian Hänle's vision is to inspire people and organisations to develop in a positive and coherent way. To support people in developing their potential, to break new, innovative ground, to create healthy, growth-promoting environments and team flows, to raise consciousness and energy levels, to bring cultures together across national borders and to put the most important thing at the centre with intuition and from heart: people - because they are the ones who carry a company to success.
Academic background:
For his bachelor’s degree in International Business Fabian Hänle studied at the Dual University of Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) and, thanks to an awarded scholarship, at the University of California in the USA (UCSB). Years later and already as CEO in China, he graduated at the Executive MBA program of Mannheim Business School and Shanghai Tongji University as Best of Class. Continuing his pursuit for academic excellence and for bridging theory to practice, Fabian Hänle then joined the PhD Program for Executives at the Antwerp Management School and the University of Antwerp, where he obtained his PhD in 2021 and serves as Professor starting from 2023. He is the author of multiple German and English language books, book chapters and academic articles in international, peer-reviewed journals. Through his business experience and continuous on-the-ground research in China, Fabian Hänle became one of the leading leading experts in the strategy, internationalization and innovativeness of Western and Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), family firms and the elite of hidden champions.
