Antje von Dewitz: The visionary at VAUDE

Antje von Dewitz has transformed the southern German family business VAUDE into an outdoor brand in which sustainability is understood as a forward-looking strategy that is pursued with great conviction and passion. Under her leadership, VAUDE has developed into a pioneer for sustainable management in the outdoor and textile industry. What is still considered difficult to reconcile and hardly feasible in large parts of the economy today was already the central guiding principle for her over a decade ago: transparency within global supply chain and the assumption of comprehensive responsibility for people and nature as necessary foundations for economic success and sustainability.

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It was not predetermined from the start that Antje would succeed her father. She grew up with two sisters in the hinterland of Lake Constance, in the place where Albrecht von Dewitz founded VAUDE. She went to school in nearby Tettnang and after graduating from high school, she studied economics and cultural area studies at the University of Passau. During this time, she gained her first practical experience, for example at the Institute for European Environmental Policy in Bonn, at a women's organization in Berlin, at the Goethe Institute in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and in media companies, and she also did an internship at VAUDE. Antje was given the rather unusual task of setting up the new business unit for urban backpacks and bags together with colleagues. She really appreciated the wide scope for creativity, so she decided to join VAUDE initially as a product manager. From 2002 to 2005, she completed her doctorate and worked at the Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at the University of Hohenheim. in 2005 she became Head of Marketing and in 2009 Managing Director at VAUDE.

Based on a deep conviction that entrepreneurship goes hand in hand with responsibility and supported by values such as trust, partnership and a positive image of people, Antje and her team have consistently transformed VAUDE into a thoroughly sustainable companies. Beyond VAUDE, she is also committed to issues relating to the sustainable transformation of the economy. She advocates that companies should also assume social responsibility and contribute to strengthening democratic values. She supports the approach of the Economy for the Common Good (ECG), whereby corporate success is measured not only by financial profit but also by contribution to the common good, and she is also politically engaged, e.g. for legislation that helps to effectively counteract the challenges of our time such as climate change or the disregard for human rights in supply chains.

Antje embodies her convictions not only at work, but also in her private life. She joined VAUDE at the same time as starting her own family. As a mother of four children, she has shown for many years that it is possible to balance work and family life as a woman in a management position if the framework conditions are wanted and created. Her employees appreciate the trusting, self-effective and family-friendly corporate culture at VAUDE.

With VAUDE, Antje pursues a clear vision: to create a better quality of life with sustainable outdoor products and forward-looking business practices. Under her leadership, VAUDE has taken numerous measures to fulfill this vision:

• eco-friendly production: VAUDE relies on environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing processes. The focus is on the use of recycled and renewable materials and the avoidance of harmful chemicals.
• Fair working conditions: AUDE is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation with Leader Status and is actively committed to fair working conditions throughout the entire supply chain.
• Science-based climate protection: VAUDE is doing its part to meet the 1.5-degree target and is taking numerous measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Net Zero is to be achieved by 2040.

On October 1, 2024, Antje von Dewitz was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at Bellevue Palace in Berlin. This award, presented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, recognizes her outstanding commitment to sustainable and social entrepreneurship in the textile industry. Antje von Dewitz sees the award not only as a personal honor, but also as recognition of the valuable work of her entire team at VAUDE. Learn more about the Federal Order of Merit.

Antje von Dewitz receives the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at Bellevue Palace for her outstanding commitment to sustainable entrepreneurship and social responsibility in the textile industry.

In her book "Mut steht uns gut!", written in german, which was published in 2020, Antje shows how companies can take on more responsibility for people and nature and how we can achieve and drive forward great things together. It combines her biography with the history of VAUDE and makes her conviction clear: We can all contribute to a fairer world.

With this in mind, Antje wants to continue to lead VAUDE into the future through her sustainable business practices.