A detergent factory of Henkel Polska in Racibórz, as one of the first in Poland and the first Henkel plant in the world, has achieved ISO 50001 international standard. ISO 50001 is one of the newest and best global practices aimed at rational and efficient energy management.

Effective July 1, 2012, Carsten Knobel (42), Corporate Senior Vice President and Financial Director of Henkel´s Cosmetics/Toiletries business and responsible for Corporate Controlling, will succeed Lothar Steinebach (63) as Chief Financial Officer of Henkel. Steinebach will retire end of June 2012 after more than 30 years with Henkel in a number leading positions and serving since 2003 on the Management Board as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

In October 2011, the ECON brand team of Henkel Russia donated 10 000 euros to Makoto Tamaki, President of Henkel Japan, to assist the victims of the of the tsunami which took place on March 11, 2011.

Do you think that fish cannot fly? The exhibition of works of the world-famous painter Ladislav Guderna is designed to prove that just the opposite is true. The work of this acclaimed artist of Slovak origin has had a significant impact on painters both in Slovakia and abroad. The exhibition of his paintings has a fitting name: Flying Fish, Magic World of Ladislav Guderna and will be held from November 25, 2011 until January 22, 2012 at the Bratislava City Gallery, Mirbach Palace, Františkánske námestie 11. “Henkel Slovensko to Slovakia is a unique project in that it enables the general public to get to know the works of world-famous and acclaimed artists of Slovak origin. We are very pleased that Henkel Slovensko has been able to promote culture and art in the region over the last 20 years,” says Rudolf Steger, President of Henkel Slovensko. Zsófia Kiss-Szemán is the exhibition’s curator and author of the book on the life and work of Ladislav Guderna.

The exhibition of the works of Maks Cieślak, winner of the international Henkel Art.Award 2010, will commence on the evening of November 18, 2011 at the Wrocław Contemporary Museum. The artist’s works, presented under the title “Art is a Forbidden Fruit Marmalade,” will be displayed until January 16, 2012.

For the tenth time, Henkel Central Eastern Europe (CEE) bestowed the Henkel Art.Award. for Central and Eastern Europe, featuring a monetary prize of 7,000 euros and two individual exhibitions – thus comprising a total value of 35,000 euros. The prize was given to the Russian artist David Ter-Oganyan. The promotional prize for Austrian artists, the Henkel Young Artists Prize Austria, was given to the Styrian-born artist Stefan Glettler.

• Sales increase of 1.7 percent to 4,028 million euros (organic: +6.5%)
• Adjusted* operating profit: plus 4.7 percent to 541 million euros
• Adjusted* EBIT margin: plus 0.4 percentage points to 13.4 percent
• All business sectors delivered substantial margin increases
• Adjusted* earnings per preferred share (EPS): plus 6.3 percent to 0.85 euros
• Further double-digit increase in the growth regions (organic: +10.9%)

On October 27, at the 2011 Romanian PR Awards Gala, Henkel Romania received a Silver PR Award for Excellence for the campaign entitled "Syoss Academy, the first self hairsytling place in Romania". The project competed in the category "PR for marketing, new products", the most crowded one in terms of number of applications!

More than 1,100 pieces of art were submitted to the Mr. Pritt art contest ”My favorite cartoon character” which was organized for children up to the age of 10. The only pre-condition for participating in the contest was that the glue had to be used in the work of art. The most frequently used cartoon characters were Sponge Bob, Lotte, favorites from the ”Cars“ movie, Sheep Shaun, but also Tumbler and Black and White Dog.

Coinciding with the start of the new academic year, the fifth annual “Henkel Innovation Challenge” international student competition is set to begin. Students from all disciplines are invited to develop innovative ideas in teams of two. Participants have until December 12 to register at www.henkelchallenge.com .

On October 5, 2011, the gala opening ceremony of the new Moscow Schwarzkopf Professional ASK Academy for hairdressers took place at Henkel’s offices. The event was long anticipated by many stylists in Moscow, and represented an important milestone in the educational level of the Russian hairdressing market. The academy in Moscow is the fourth of its kind in Russia but the largest and most important one.

Henkel announced today the appointment of Kathrin Menges as new member of the Management Board and Executive Vice President Human Resources. “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Kathrin to the Management Board. As with the previous changes in our Board, we have been able to develop the next generation of leaders from within the company. With her longstanding professional experience in human resources, her skills and her leadership qualities she will be a perfect fit for this challenging role”, said Henkel CEO Kasper Rorsted, who was responsible for HR in the Management Board to date.

For the fifth time in a row, Henkel is listed as the sustainability leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in the Nondurable Household Products category. In addition, Henkel is the only company in its sector to be represented in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index (DJSI Europe). The indices list corporations that follow the principles of sustainable development in their business operations.

An international jury of art experts led by Karola Kraus, Director of the Museum of Modern Art Stiftung Ludwig Vienna (MUMOK), has nominated five young artists from Latvia, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine as the finalists for the Henkel Art.Award. 2011, choosing from 870 submitted entries. The award features a monetary prize amounting to 7,000 euros, along with an exhibition in the artist’s native country as well as a solo presentation at MUMOK in Vienna. The winner will be honored at a gala award ceremony held at MUMOK on the evening of November 9, 2011.

• Sales increase of 1.6 percent to 3,953 million euros (organic: + 6.3%)
• Adjusted* operating profit: plus 8.0 percent to 514 million euros
• Adjusted* EBIT margin: plus 0.8 percentage points to 13.0 percent
• Adjusted* earnings per preferred share (EPS): plus 8.2 percent to 0.79 euros
• Growth regions post another double-digit increase (organic: + 11.6%)
• Market environment characterized by rise in raw material prices and intense competition

In July 2011, Henkel started construction of a new major logistics center for the Perm region, which will be one of the most technologically advanced facilities in Russia. It will also contribute to sustainable development, which the Henkel Group is committed to promoting around the world.

Henkel Magyarország Kft. will once again be led by a local manager. Effective July 1, 2011, Ms. Ágnes Fábián has been appointed President of the Hungarian subsidiary that operates two plants and in three business segments. 

A new production line, worth HUF 750 million, has been commissioned as part of the portfolio change process at Henkel’s Körösladány plant.

Henkel CEE was granted the Austrian Logistics Prize in the category “Best Innovative Partnership-Oriented Logistics Solution” at the Austrian Logistics Day event. The award was for Henkel CEE’s central warehouse for detergents and cleaners established in Vienna-Meidling to deliver goods to customers in four countries, namely Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Slovenia.

Henkel Polska, along with other three large scale companies and as the only company representing FMCG sector, was granted the prestigious title of Best Employer 2011.  In the study organized by Aon Hewitt the employees were asked to evaluate their companies. Based on their opinions the study measured the level of employees’ satisfaction and engagement.

Henkel Romania announces the start of construction works for a new adhesives production site, after an investment of aprox. 10 million EUR, out of which about 3 million (12, 010, 500 RON) were obtained by accesing structural funds under the umbrella of the Regional Operational Program – Increase of Economic Competitiveness (POS CCE). The budget obtained through EU funding will be used for the construction of production space and for purchasing equipment.

At a ceremony organized by the student initiative “Golden Index”, Henkel Croatia has been awarded the most prestigious award of the contest: “The Golden Index for Best Employer Image according to student perception”. Henkel has received this award based on a survey organized by the student initiative “Golden Index” in cooperation with Hendal Research at the five biggest faculties of University in Zagreb: Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Law. The survey was carried out in spring 2011 on a sample of 70 – 150 examinees, depending on the faculty.

Schwarzkopf Professional, the hair styling specialist within the Cosmetics/Toiletries business area of Henkel, has chosen a high-end location for its offices and hair styling academy that matches its trendy style.

Already five years in a row Henkel has been Official Sponsor of the IIHF World Championship. The Company shall enhance its visibility by placing its corporate Henkel brand as well as its Ceresit and Makroflex product brands in the hockey stadiums in Bratislava and Košice.

Yesterday evening the exhibition “Art is a Forbidden Fruit Marmalade” of the Henkel Art.Award. winner 2010 - Maksymilian Cieslak - was officially opened. Günter Thumser (President of Henkel Central Eastern Europe) and Karola Kraus (Director of the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, MUMOK) jointly invited guests to the MUMOK Factory. Here the Polish artist will be exhibiting his works of art in the period May 4-29, 2011.

• Sales increase of 8.9 percent to 3,823 million euros (organic: +7.2%)
• Adjusted* operating profit: plus 12.1 percent to 473 million euros
• Adjusted* EBIT margin: plus 0.4 percentage points to 12.4 percent
• Adjusted* earnings per preferred share (EPS): plus 21.7 percent to 0.73 euros
• Growth regions continue to post above-average increases (+14.8 percent)
• Market environment characterized by rising raw material prices and intense competition

Mladen Miljanović, winner of the Henkel Art.Award. 2009, opened a Group exhibition yesterday evening entitled “Krieg.Kunst.Krise“ (War.Art.Crisis) at the ArtPoint Gallery in Vienna displaying his own art along with works created by Edin Numankadić, Veso Sovilj, Iva Simčić and Radenko Milak. Together with the other artists, he is presenting an overview of contemporary art of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Following the successful business performance in 2010, Henkel CEO Kasper Rorsted today at the company’s Annual General Meeting reconfirmed the financial targets set for 2012. “Our results in 2010 were excellent. Henkel recorded the best year in its company history. We remain focused on our strategic priorities and are confident to achieve our 2012 targets.” Rorsted confirmed the targets for the fiscal year 2011 as previously announced at the company’s annual results press conference in February. “We expect to achieve organic growth of between 3 and 5 percent in 2011 and anticipate an increase in our adjusted EBIT margin to around 13 percent and a rise in adjusted earnings per preferred share of around 10 percent.”

Laundry that gets done in an instant with no noise and with total ecological compatibility while hanging in the wardrobe in a kind of clothes bag – it could all come true with a detergent of the future called Persilan Oxygen. At least, that is the idea put forward by Anna Szarecka und Anna Szpot of Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. The two students made a powerful case with their innovative concept for a Henkel product for the year 2050, winning the Henkel Innovation Challenge in the process. And they can be proud of their feat for, having come out top in the international final of this student competition in Berlin, they have seen off some of the best teams the world has to offer.

Held in Düsseldorf on April 11, 2011, the Annual General Meeting of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA saw all of its agenda resolutions passed by the voting shareholders, of whom a total of some 2,000 attended the event.

Henkel CEE won the “European Diversity Leadership Honour” prize in the category “Multicultural Working Environment”. The award was given at the World Diversity Leadership Summit Europe (WDLS-EU, see www.wdls.eu), which took place in Vienna for the second time. “The prize is in recognition of proven strategies and forward-looking initiatives designed by companies and organizations to promote diversity”, says conference organizer Beatrice Achaleke. Henkel CEE serves as the headquarters for business operations in 32 countries in Central and Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia and the Caucasus. Employees from 43 nations work for the company. 38 percent of the management positions are held by women. Since 2002, the company has bundled its professional training and further education activities in its own “Henkel CEE Academy”. The 250 training courses annually involving some 2,000 participants are held in 17 languages.

For the tenth time, Henkel Central Eastern Europe (Henkel CEE) has announced a call for entries to compete in the Henkel Art.Award. for the Region Central and Eastern Europe. The art award featuring a monetary prize of 7,000 euros is designed to arouse the interest and participation of fine artists from 23 countries in the region. The prize is granted in cooperation with KulturKontakt Austria and the Museum of Modern Art (Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig - MUMOK) in Vienna. On the basis of the cooperation with the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig (MUMOK), the Henkel Art.Award. 2011 not only offers the award winner an exhibition in his or her native country, but also an individual presentation at MUMOK in Vienna. At the same time, talented young Austrian artists can also submit their entries to win the Youth Artist’s Prize Austria with a monetary grant of 2,000 euros. Moreover, in cooperation with its longstanding partner KulturKontakt Austria, Henkel CEE is once again bestowing a third prize, namely a scholarship valued at 2,000 euros, for young Central and Eastern European artists. The prize winner is selected from among the participants of the Artists-in-Residence Program of KulturKontakt Austria.

Henkel has been included in the list of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” for the fourth year in a row. The ranking, prepared by the US Ethisphere Institute, recognizes companies from around the globe for their exemplary ethical approach to corporate governance and their commitment to sustainable development.

Starting on Monday, 7th February, Henkel is inviting participants to a packaging design contest. In the Adhesives Packaging Design Contest, everyone with creative skills may submit designs for adhesives packaging. Unlike the usual contests, it will be possible to discuss and vote for the proposals through an online platform; then, a panel of experts from the fields of business and vocational training will select the winner. The best design will be rewarded with prize money of 3,000 euros. The deadline for submission of entries is 18th March 2011.

• Sales increase by 11.2 percent to 15,092 million euros
• Organic sales growth of 7.0 percent
• Share of sales of emerging markets: plus 3 percentage points to 41 percent
• Adjusted* operating profit: plus 36.5 percent to 1,862 million euros
• Adjusted* EBIT margin: plus 2.3 percentage points to 12.3 percent
• Adjusted* earnings per preferred share (EPS): plus 47.6 percent to 2.82 euros
• Significantly higher dividends proposed: plus 35.8 percent to 0.72 euros

In 2010 Henkel Central Eastern Europe once again demonstrated its strengths in a recovering but still challenging market environment. Thanks to its strong brands in the consumer goods segment as well as the renewed upswing in construction activity which correspondingly benefitted the adhesives business, sales in the region could be increased by 6.4 percent in local currencies (or even by 12.2 percent on a euro basis) to 2,880 million euros.

“I am very proud that we managed to successfully shape the second year in which we faced a crisis-ridden market environment, especially for consumer goods”, says Günter Thumser, President of Henkel CEE. “We grew in all three business sectors – Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies – more strongly than our competitors. This means we won market share across the entire region”.

Henkel published its 20th Sustainability Report today in conjunction with its Annual Report for 2010. More than 20 years ago, Henkel made a commitment to principles and objectives relating to occupational health and safety, resource conservation and emissions reduction. In 2008, the company announced its targets for 2012. Thanks to determination throughout the organization, these targets had already been achieved by the end of 2010. Measured on a per-ton output basis, energy consumption had decreased by 21 percent, water usage by 26 percent, and the amount of waste generated by 24 percent. Over the same period, the number of occupational accidents fell by 29 percent. These achievements demonstrate that, for Henkel, sustainability is inextricably linked to economic success.

Henkel is introducing a new corporate design across the company in combination with the launch of its new claim “Henkel – Excellence is our Passion”. “Our new claim summarizes what we stand for as a company and with our brands and our people around the world: we strive to be the best in everything we do,” said Kasper Rorsted, Chairman of the Henkel Management Board. “Both, our new claim and our new visual identity will further strengthen the Henkel brand around the world."