Incoming Henkel CEO juggles growth, morale

FRANKFURT — Henkel’s new CEO, Hans van Bylen, will face pressure to keep the pace set by his predecessor, Kasper Rorsted, who takes the helm at Adidas in October, according to the Wall Street Journal. Under Rorsted, the price of Henkel shares more than tripled and earnings increased by almost 60%. The growth came at a cost, however, as some company veterans complained that Americanization of its corporate culture negatively impacted morale, while others praised Rorsted for increasing professionalism. Van Bylen’s challenge will be to maintain growth without wearing employees down too much.