Hanspeter Stabenau
Hanspeter Stabenau: founder of the German logistics movement
It is thanks to the efforts of Dr. Hanspeter Stabenau (*1934 †2020) that logistics has been able to raise its profile enormously in both the public sphere and in industry in just a few decades. Driven by his charming personality and expertise, logistics has developed into a much-noticed corporate discipline in the worlds of politics and business within the space of 20 years. He can rightfully be called the pioneer of modern logistics and the founder of the German logistics movement. Stabenau was inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame in 2004.
| Field | associations, management, science and education |
| Current position | Honorary Chairman of BVL, Bremen, Germany |
| Born | November 1, 1934 in Königsberg in East Prussia |
| Died | June 10, 2020 in Bremen, Germany |
| Induction into the Logistics Hall of Fame | 2004 |
-
Vita
1934 Born on November 1 in Königsberg (East Prussia)
1954 to 1959 Studies Economics with the focus on transport science at the University of Cologne; awarded a degree in Economics
1959 to 1961 Assistant at the Institute for Transport Science at the University of Cologne
1961 Awarded a PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) by the University of Cologne
1961 Appointed as the second full-time lecturer at the German Foreign Trade and Transport College (DAV), Bremen
1966 Appointed Head of Studies at the DAV
1979 Appointed Director of the nonprofit Förderkreises Wirtschaft e.V. business advancement group, the sponsoring association of the German Foreign Trade and Transport Academy (DAV) in Bremen and the Seminar for Further Education in Business (SfW) in Bremen; also appointed Chair of the newly formed Management Board of the association
1979 to 1999 Founding member and Chairman of the Board of Bundesvereinigung Logistik e.V.
1994 to 1999 Chairman of the Board of the DAV Foundation in Bremen
1995 Awarded the Federal Order of Merit
1995 to 1999 Managing Director of the German Logistics Academy (DLA), Bremen
Since 2000 Member of the Foundation Board of the DAV Foundation and Chairman of the Programme Committee of the DLA, Honorary Chairman of BVL
2004 Induction into the Logistics Hall of Fame
-
Merits
- Dr. Hanspeter Stabenau was a key figure in the founding of Bundesvereinigung Logistik (BVL) and headed the association for more than 20 years as the Chairman of the BVL Board.
- As early as the mid-70s, he had the vision of creating a forum where like minds could exchange ideas, an association in which trade, industry, freight forwarding and academia could find a "logistical home". In 1976, he initiated and staged the first logistics management seminar together with the Confederation of German Industry (BDI). The model for this event was a seminar called "Business Logistics" he encountered in Stanford in the USA.
- When the powerful Confederation of German Industry (BDI) decided to set up a working group on logistics, Stabenau took the initiative, and in 1978, under his leadership, this BDI working group became the BVL e.V. logistics association, which he headed as Chairman of the Board until 1999. During this period, he shaped the association and logistics like no other. He devoted his life to the service of logistics and, in BVL, he created a platform for logistics service providers and logistics managers in industry and trade. BVL is now one of the most important logistics associations and stages the International Supply Chain Conference every year in Berlin. Today, Stabenau is Honorary Chairman and Chairman of the BVL Foundation for Research and Education.
- Contemporary witnesses leave no doubt that it is thanks to him and his charismatic manner that logistics has become a key corporate function. Through his huge personal commitment and his farsightedness, he unified widely differing sectors, scientific disciplines, corporate functions and personalities in BVL, thereby laying the foundations for cross-functional, integrated logistics. He recognised the significance and the potential of the overriding control function of logistics back in the early 70s of the 20th century and firmly established this mindset in expert circles.
- In May 1995, Hanspeter Stabenau was awarded the Federal Order of Merit for his honorary work in the field of logistics.
Photos: BVL, Erwin Fleischmann, Anita Würmser
