Executive Summary
Markets are becoming more volatile, competition is intensifying, and transformation has become a permanent management challenge. Yet according to Astrid Hermann, CFO of Beiersdorf, sustainable success still rests on a remarkably traditional principle: long-term thinking. Throughout the conversation, she explains how patient investment in innovation, operational excellence, and disciplined financial management enables Beiersdorf to continue growing while navigating global uncertainty.
The Insight
Many companies respond to uncertainty by becoming more cautious. Beiersdorf takes a different approach. Long-term competitiveness is built by continuing to invest in the capabilities that create future growth—even when markets become more challenging.
For Beiersdorf, this means maintaining significant investment in research and development, continuously strengthening global brands, and improving operational efficiency to create the financial flexibility for future innovation. Hermann also describes how the role of the CFO has evolved beyond financial stewardship. Finance today is deeply involved in shaping transformation, enabling strategic investments, and ensuring that the company can adapt quickly to changing market conditions without losing sight of its long-term objectives.
This perspective is reinforced by Beiersdorf’s ownership structure, which supports decisions that extend beyond quarterly results. Rather than pursuing short-term optimisation, the company focuses on building sustainable competitive advantages that endure across economic cycles.
For leaders driving transformation, the lesson is clear: resilience is rarely created through reactive cost-cutting alone. It is built through consistent investment, disciplined execution, and the confidence to pursue a long-term strategy even during periods of uncertainty.
Key Takeaways
- Long-term investment creates sustainable competitive advantage.
- The CFO is becoming a strategic leader of transformation.
- Operational excellence enables continued innovation.
Continue the Conversation
This article explores one of the key themes from the conversation with Astrid Hermann, CFO of Beiersdorf. The full episode also discusses global growth, digital marketing, AI, innovation, performance management, shared services, and leadership.