Lukas Schmidt wins the Newcomer Award 2025
In the picture from left: Dr. Prof. (FH) Reinhard Altenburger, Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze, ICV Chairman Matthias von Daacke, Julia Stockhammer (third-place winner of the Newcomer Award), Jury Member Christina Keindorf, Lukas Schmidt (winner of the Newcomer Award 2025), Dr. Jochen Fähndrich (winner of the Controlling Dissertation Award 2025), Niklas Sievernich (runner-up of the Newcomer Award), Chairman of the Péter Horváth Foundation Prof. Dr. Reinhold Mayer, ICV Board Member Pia Burkarth and Prof. Dr. Utz Schäffer.
Wörthsee/Stuttgart/Berlin. The ICV – Péter Horváth Newcomer Award 2025 was presented on October 18, 2025 at the North-East Conference of the International Association of Controllers in Berlin. The winner is Lukas Schmidt with his master thesis “A comparative empirical study of the use of ESG-related key figures in corporate management concepts using the example of the MDAX”. With this award, the International Association of Controllers, together with the Péter Horváth Foundation, honors outstanding academic theses with a high degree of practical relevance.
The Award was presented by ICV Chairman of the Board Matthias von Daacke, who emphasized in his laudatory speech that all nominees combine scientific excellence with practical relevance and thus make a valuable contribution to the further development of controlling, and: “They show how close research and practice can come together”.
Lukas Schmidt wins first place
Lukas Schmidt from CBS International Business School took first place in this year’s competition with his outstanding master’s thesis “A comparative empirical study of the use of ESG-related key figures in corporate management concepts using the example of the MDAX”.
The work was supervised by Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze.
Schmidt examines how ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) indicators will be integrated into the internal corporate management of capital market-oriented MDAX companies in 2023. In doing so, he addresses a highly topical issue that plays a central role against the backdrop of new regulatory requirements – such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) – and growing social expectations. ESG indicators serve as an instrument for operationalizing sustainability goals and creating transparency for stakeholders. Schmidt shows that they can make a significant contribution to effectively implementing sustainability goals and shaping the transition from pure “reporting” to active “doing”.
Methodologically, the work combines qualitative and quantitative approaches: A content analysis of 50 annual and sustainability reports is supplemented by a statistical evaluation and a sector comparison. As a result, the study provides both theoretical and practical findings.
The results show that only 32% of the companies surveyed explicitly use ESG indicators for management purposes, with the focus being on environmental and social aspects. Schmidt identified a total of 42 management-relevant indicators, an average of 0.82 per company. Topics such as climate change, employees and consumers are addressed particularly frequently; around 60% of the indicators are integrated into variable management remuneration systems. There are clear differences between sectors – particularly between industry and financial services.
A key result of the work is the development of a four-stage maturity model that offers companies a structured orientation for classifying and further developing their ESG management. Overall, the study makes it clear that ESG indicators have so far played a rather subordinate role in corporate management, but have considerable potential for the future.
The jury recognized Schmidt’s work as an excellent, scientifically sound and practical contribution to anchoring sustainability in controlling.
Second place for Niklas Sievernich
Second place went to Niklas Sievernich from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management with his master thesis “Predicting Expansion Speed and Investment Cost of the German Transmission Grid in the Framework of Energy Transition”.
The work was supervised by Prof. Dr. Utz Schäffer.
Sievernich’s innovative approach to addressing the complex challenges of the energy transition with modern analysis methods is impressive. Using predictive analytics, he develops precise forecasts on the investment and time requirements for the expansion of the German electricity transmission grids. He is thus making a significant contribution to optimizing the planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in an increasingly dynamic energy market.
According to the jury’s verdict, two aspects are particularly noteworthy:
Firstly, the practical application of the theoretically sound progress and cost models to real infrastructure projects; secondly, the examination of the economic and social consequences of delays or cost increases in this area.
The ability to realistically estimate future costs and timeframes is essential in order to make the energy transition efficient and sustainable, emphasized von Daacke in his laudatory speech – both for energy producers and grid operators as well as for public and private households. Sievernich’s work provides important impetus for controllers working in the areas of grid expansion, the energy transition and other major infrastructure projects.
Third place for Julia Stockhammer
Third place went to Julia Stockhammer from IMC Krems for her master thesis “Use of generative AI in core controlling processes”, supervised by Dr. Prof. (FH) Reinhard Altenburger.
Stockhammer focuses on a highly topical subject: the use of generative artificial intelligence in controlling. Her work impressively demonstrates how AI can change controlling in manufacturing companies.
Based on in-depth literature research and additional interviews with experts, she develops practical recommendations for integrating AI into central controlling processes such as planning, reporting and cost accounting.
The jury particularly emphasized her differentiated view of the changing role of the controller in the digital transformation – away from being a pure supplier of figures to a strategic partner of management.
Stockhammer makes it clear that AI is not to be understood as a substitute, but as an intelligent tool that complements human expertise and creates freedom for value-adding activities.
The jury praised the scientific depth, high practical relevance and clear forward-looking approach of the work, which makes a valuable contribution to the further development of the controller profession.
Intensive jury work and thanks to those involved
The jury of the ICV – Péter Horváth Newcomer Award is made up of the following members:
- Dr. Christoph Binder, jury chairman and Professor of Management Accounting & Controlling at the ESB Business School of Reutlingen University
- Sabine Albrecht, Managing Director of ALTANA Management Services GmbH
- Gunnar Elbers, Partner of CTCon GmbH, Düsseldorf
- Dr. Thomas Gruber, Professor of Internal Accounting and Controlling at the Berlin School of Economics and Law
- Christina Keindorf, Group Controlling at Deutsche Bahn
Matthias von Daacke thanked the jury for the usual intensive, critical and sometimes controversial discussions before the decisions were made – not least because the 18 theses submitted covered an impressively broad range of topics, said the ICV Chairman of the Board enthusiastically. As in previous years, the jury had again set high standards in the areas of scientific foundation, practical relevance, degree of innovation and direct practicability of the concepts when assessing the theses. The so-called “congress suitability”, i.e. the potential of a paper to provide impetus for specialist events and promote dialog between science and practice, was also included in the decision.
Matthias von Daacke also expressed special thanks to the ICV Office with Carmen Zillmer, Managing Director, as well as Stephanie Wirth, who has been responsible for the organizational implementation of the Award with great care and reliability for many years.
Importance and promotion of young talent
The Newcomer Award was endowed with a total of 12,000 euros for the first time this year thanks to the cooperation between the ICV and the Péter Horváth Foundation. On behalf of the jury, Matthias von Daacke thanked Prof. Dr. Reinhold Mayer, Chairman of the Foundation, for this commitment. Von Daacke emphasized that the close exchange between practice and university is indispensable for the further development of controlling. The award illustrates how important it is to promote young talent at an early stage and to strengthen the practical relevance of research and teaching. The diversity of the work submitted also underlines the high relevance of the award in the academic landscape.
