German entrepreneur Henning Strauss, CEO of the workwear leader STRAUSS, has been awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration by the renowned Pepperdine University in Malibu, California – his alma mater. By conferring the title “Doctor of Business Administration (honoris causa), Pepperdine University, USA”, the university honours his outstanding entrepreneurial achievement. Strauss’s pioneering understanding of modern brand management will also be recognised academically from the autumn semester of 2027 with the Henning Strauss Chair of Business and Brand Leadership in conjunction with a visiting professorship. The award also recognises the exemplary social commitment of the 49-year-old, which is shaped by the Pepperdine maxim “Freely ye received, freely give”.

Entrepreneur and brand strategist Henning Strauss has become the first German in the history of Pepperdine University to receive an honorary doctorate — an honour American universities rarely bestow on international business leaders. On 2 May 2026, the 49-year-old delivered the commencement address to more than 10,000 guests and was awarded the degree during the ceremony.

Strauss’s entrepreneurial achievements have long been recognised in Europe and the United States. Under his leadership, the family-owned company from the Main-Kinzig district in Hesse has grown into the European market leader in workwear. He redefined an entire product category and turned STRAUSS into a sought-after global brand. In 2024, STRAUSS entered the U.S. and adapted its brand strategy to the North American market. A key driver of its U.S. momentum is its history-making partnership with Major League Baseball. STRAUSS was the first brand ever to place its logo on players’ helmets during the U.S. Postseason and World Series. For this, Strauss received the Sponsor of the Year Award in 2025.

In addition to Strauss’s entrepreneurial achievements, the honorary doctorate acknowledges his social engagement, shaped by Pepperdine’s motto ‘Freely ye received, freely give.’ Through the ALEA FOUNDATION and ALEA SCHOOL, Henning Strauss has invested hundreds of millions into the infrastructure of his hometown, Bad Orb. The town recognized him as an honorary citizen in 2023 in recognition of this commitment and for bringing his brand expertise to bear in the repositioning of the spa town.

BACKGROUND

 FROM AMERICA BACK TO THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Strauss graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Business Administration in 2001. He had been planning to start his professional career in New York City when the events of 11 September 2001 led him back to the family business sooner than expected. Strauss joined the management team that very same year. Together with his brother Steffen and his father Norbert, he initiated a comprehensive brand relaunch and focused on product development. By reimagining workwear, the family reinvented an entire industry and drove lasting change in the skilled trades. Through sports sponsorships, high-profile brand collaborations with Metallica as well as film and photography productions in Hollywood, the brand has become a global player with an annual turnover of 1.4 billion euros.

STRAUSS HITS A HOMERUN IN THE U.S.

Henning Strauss took his targeted sports sponsorship strategy to the U.S. when the company entered the North American market. Despite being a newcomer, the entrepreneur seized the opportunity to link his brand with Major League Baseball (MLB) and America’s favourite pastime. STRAUSS became the first company in MLB history to place its logo on helmets during the U.S. Postseason and World Series. In 2025, Henning Strauss was named Sponsor of the Year by the Sponsorship Marketing Association for his bold sponsorship strategy and pioneering spirit.

In the global expansion of the brand, Henning Strauss places great emphasis on a product portfolio tailored to local cultures and climates. In addition to incorporating American materials such as U.S. cotton and creating local value through ‘Made in USA’ production, the workwear company adapts its iconic work trousers to local wearing habits and weather conditions. The customer and their needs have always been the focus of product development at this family-run business.

TOP UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES STRAUSS CHAIR

The rise of Strauss to the European market leader in workwear and its determined expansion into the U.S. market make Henning Strauss an invaluable brand ambassador for the values-oriented Pepperdine University, from which Henning Strauss graduated in 2001. Beginning in the autumn semester of 2027, Pepperdine will establish the Henning Strauss Chair in Business and Brand Leadership to anchor Strauss’s understanding of modern brand management, corporate culture and social responsibility in academia. Furthermore, Strauss himself will periodically serve as a visiting professor at Pepperdine University.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY

Pepperdine University is a Christian university in Malibu, California. Founded in 1937, the institution specialises in business, law, education, psychology and the humanities, and is characterised by a liberal arts learning environment, small class sizes and close-knit academic community. Its Malibu campus is one of the most inspiring locations in the world and offers a formative learning environment overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Alongside academic excellence, Pepperdine promotes personal development and social engagement through its core values of purpose, service and leadership.

ALEA FOUNDATION AND ALEA SCHOOL

Pepperdine’s values shape Henning Strauss’s work in his hometown of Bad Orb. With remarkable determination and speed, Strauss founded ALEA SCHOOL, a non-profit school that opened its doors to students a year and a half after the initial idea took root. The bilingual secondary school is based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and leads to the IB Diploma. The school aims to develop young people into global citizens and socially engaged individuals, working in tandem with education partners specializing in science, nature education and culture, as well as international partner schools. The future Parkallee campus also reflects this vision in its design: there will be a dedicated music studio, a dōjō, a ‘dinotorium’ and a palm and azalea house.

Henning Strauss has also invested hundreds of millions in the green and blue infrastructure of his hometown, Bad Orb. As patron of ALEA PARK, he aims to raise awareness of the value of botany and has comprehensively restored the upper spa gardens – personally selecting the botanical rarities, from sequoias to magnolias. Alongside education and nature, Strauss is deliberately strengthening the town’s medical profile. The BALNOVA bathhouse and health centre, funded by Strauss, is a forward-looking medical concept that combines medical and therapeutic practice and research in radiology, sports surgery, orthopaedics, balneology and physiotherapy with the ambition of positioning itself as the premier location and driving force for future-focused medical topics ranging from longevity to forest medicine.