Wirtschaftsclub Rhein-Main

The Wirtschaftsclub Rhein-Main e.V. is Germany’s oldest business club. It was founded on 1 April 1950 by young entrepreneurs and executives in the I.G. Farben building in Frankfurt am Main.

From the outset, WRM has not acted as a conventional representative of individual industries or professions. Entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals, executives and people from business and society meet here as equals. The club is independent of party politics, social affiliations, religion and economic interests.

This creates a distinctive “third place” beyond everyday professional life: open to fresh perspectives, lively debate and personal connections. The focus is on exchanging views and ideas and building relationships that can lead to cooperation, business partnerships and lasting friendships.

The board

Since summer 2016, Wirtschaftsclub Rhein-Main has been led by entrepreneur and economics graduate Thomas Kremer, managing partner of b-k-p Consulting GmbH, as its president.

The board also includes David Knower (COO of Cerberus, Vice President), former State Minister Dr. h. c. Jörg-Uwe Hahn (Vice President), Hanna Kleber (Managing Director of KPRN network), Karin Thelemann (Partner at EY), Christian Kalonji (Managing Director of Congstruction GmbH) and attorney Dr. Mark C. Hilgard.

Different ways to meet and connect

The German Business Golf Tournament has combined sporting competition with personal exchange for more than 40 years and is a regular fixture in the club’s calendar.

The evening talks have been at the heart of WRM for more than 70 years. Figures from politics, business, society, religion, the arts and science share insights into current developments and answer questions from members and guests.

A selection from the hundreds of speakers over the years:
Dr. Wilhelm Bender, Prof. Dr. Kurt Biedenkopf, Dr. Norbert Blüm, Dr. Rolf-E. Breuer, Prof. Dr. Utz Claassen, Heinz Dürr, Hans Eichel, Henri Giscard d'Estaing, Valery Giscard d´Estaing, Joschka Fischer, Carl-Peter Forster, Dr. Hans Friedrichs, Hans-Dieter Genscher, Carlos Ghosn, Gregor Gysi, Hans-Olaf Henkel, David J. Herman, Dr. Alfred Herrhausen, Dr. Klaus Kinkel, Dr. Helmut Kohl, Hilmar Kopper, Dr. Bruno Kreisky, Klaudia Martini, Helmut Maucher, Dr. Ulf Merbold, Dr. Angela Merkel, Dr. Hans Modrow, Reinhard Mohn, Heinz Nixdorf, Johannes Rau, Dr. Günter Rexrodt, Rudolf Scharping, Walter Scheel, Dr. Helmut Schmidt, Gerhard Schröder, Gerd Schulte-Hillen, Gesine Schwan, Dr. Lothar Späth, Dr. Manfred Stolpe, Dr. Franz-Josef Strauß, Jürgen Weber, Dr. Guido Westerwelle, Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Christian Lindner, Kai Diekmann, Jan Fleischhauer, Torsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Christian Wulff, Boris Palmer, Carsten Spohr, Wolfgang Bosbach, Rainer Wendt, Sigmar Gabriel, Ben Hodges, Roland Koch, Dr. Michel Friedmann, Friedrich Merz... and many more.

The Net-Lunch offers space for in-depth conversation in a deliberately small group. Entrepreneurs, executives, self-employed professionals and guests meet at Villa Bonn in Frankfurt’s Westend for lunch accompanied by a short talk.

The Young Professionals programme brings young executives, self-employed professionals and emerging talent together with experienced entrepreneurs and managers. Fresh ideas, practical insights and exchange across generations are central to the programme.

At Start-up Night , innovative founding teams present their business models in concise pitches. Start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors and decision-makers then meet to exchange feedback and explore cooperation and new business relationships.