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Podcast „Alles neu...? Aus dem Maschinenraum“
Episode #59 | Antje von Dewitz of VAUDE: Why sustainability and business are inseparable
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Podcast episode 59
Antje von Dewitz of VAUDE: Why sustainability and business are inseparable
Dr. Antje von Dewitz, Managing Director of VAUDE
Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Episode description
When Antje von Dewitz took over the leadership of VAUDE in 2009 as the second generation, she wanted more than just to continue her father’s family business. She wanted to show that business can be done differently. “It’s always been in my blood to contribute to a livable planet,” she says.
In 1974, Albrecht von Dewitz founded a company for backpacks and mountain sports equipment. Hiking clothing at the time was still something for true mountaineers and nature freaks. It would take another 40 years until the big outdoor boom of the 2010s, when Jack Wolfskin – acquired by the private equity firm Blackstone – filled pedestrian zones with its stores, and outdoor jackets became everyday uniforms for many Germans. VAUDE held its own in this market as a family-owned company consistently focused on sustainability.
The focus on environmentally friendly materials and the creation of transparent supply chains was not only a commitment to the environment, but also a necessary step to make VAUDE fit for the future. “As a company, I eliminate my reason for existence if I ignore that I am part of the problem and if my services and products do not contribute to solving this problem,” says Antje von Dewitz.
In an industry under pressure, she calls for more responsibility from politicians: “I found it really irresponsible when Friedrich Merz said that our climate efforts in Germany had hardly any effect,” she says. “That takes away the hope and energy of those who are truly committed to climate protection.”
Why she doesn’t want to rethink business but rather “live it out” again, and how else she takes responsibility as an entrepreneur – she talks about this in the podcast “Alles Neu…? Aus dem Maschinenraum” with Tobias Rappers, Managing Director of Maschinenraum, and Capital editor Katja Michel.
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Dr. Antje von Dewitz
Dr. Antje von Dewitz has been the Managing Director of the sustainable outdoor brand VAUDE since 2009 and has consistently developed the company into an ecological and socially responsible pioneer in the industry. She is committed nationally and internationally to fair supply chains, the economy for the common good, and sustainable business practices. For her extensive social and environmental engagement, she has received numerous awards, most recently in 2024 with the Federal Order of Merit.
About the Podcast
How can the origin and future of Mittelstand companies be courageously united? What are the challenges facing family businesses and what experiences do they gather in digital transformation? These questions are answered by “Alles neu...? Aus dem Maschinenraum“, the interview podcast for German Mittelstand*. Once a month, Tobias Rappers, Managing Director of Maschinenraum, and Nils Kreimeier, Senior Editor of the business magazine Capital, talk to thought leaders and makers from the heart of the German economy and focus on the personalities and their motivation. *The podcast is in German.
For more episodes of “Alles neu...? Aus dem Maschinenraum“ please click here!
