An HHL Alumni Success Story: From Business School to Circular Innovation at WEPA

This is an HHL alumni success story about shared values, entrepreneurial spirit, and driving circular innovation. Till Rösnick, Carl-Luis Rieger, and Patrick Mollen are working side by side at WEPA Group to drive real change. Discover how the HHL spirit lives on – in teamwork, new ideas, and a shared sense of purpose.

From LinkedIn to WEPA: A Shared HHL Alumni Success Story

When Carl-Luis Rieger opened LinkedIn in 2021, he wasn’t just looking for a new job. He was looking for something with purpose that was matching his experience in the field of venture capital. As he scrolled through his feed, one name stood out. Till Rösnick. They hadn’t worked together before, but both had studied at HHL.

Till was working at WEPA Ventures, the family venture capital arm of the WEPA Group. The WEPA Group, a future-oriented family business is operating throughout Europe to offer sustainable and innovative hygiene solutions that provide a safe feeling of hygiene and contribute to the well-being of millions of people on a daily basis. They count to the three largest European manufacturers and are experts in the production of tissue paper from recycled fibers.

Till had already been with the WEPA Group since 2013. While studying at HHL, he became the very first employee at WEPA Ventures in 2020. It was a new initiative for the company, aimed at investing in early-stage start-ups and creating win-win cooperation initiatives with industrial players such as WEPA Group.

Carl reached out to Till and a message quickly turned into a casual conversation that soon resulted in a job offer. Together both went on to scale WEPA Ventures to more than 25+ investments and became part of the founding team of the Business Unit Circular Solutions, a unit entirely focused on scaling circular economy initiatives across Europe for WEPA Group. Their story marks a standout HHL alumni success story, where networking and shared purpose led to entrepreneurial collaboration in a corporate setting.

A Shared Language, A Shared Spirit

From the beginning, it was clear that they spoke a common language. Till says “we were able to cut to the relevant stuff quickly, assessing the potential of Carl joining WEPA in depth without extensive relationship building beforehand. Our common HHL spirit unites us in striving for entrepreneurial excellence and creating impact in areas that really matter such as climate and circular economy.”

The way they thought about leadership, the frameworks they used to evaluate decisions and even the way they navigated through uncertainty. It all pointed back to shared experiences that shaped them during their time at HHL. Shared values were useful to quickly create impact int their field of the business.

In 2024 Patrick Mollen, who was working in finance and strategy before, joined their team and is since supporting the Business Unit Circular Solutions. When Patrick applied for a role at WEPA, he didn’t know that he will soon be interviewed by two HHL alumni. Till and Carl immediately sensed the fit of his profile. Their first call felt less like an interview and more like a continuation of an old conversation. The mindset. The way of approaching decisions. The cultural fit was obvious. It’s exactly these kinds of shared foundations that turn connections into an HHL alumni success story.

Different Paths, Shared Purpose

Since December 2024, the three HHL alumni working side by side to drive WEPA’s circular economy strategy forward. All three are part of the Business Unit Circular Solutions of WEPA Group. Each of them had taken a different path to reach this point.

Carl’s story started in South Korea during a university exchange semester, where he discovered how much a strong academic culture could shape business thinking. That experience led him to HHL, where the school’s purpose-driven philosophy matched his own. At HHL he completed the Full-Time Master in Management (M.Sc.).

Patrick graduated from HHL’s Part-Time Master in Management (M.Sc.), which gave him the flexibility to grow professionally while staying grounded in a community of people who challenged and supported each other. Looking for new professional challenges with a purpose he came across WEPA. He found a good match for his priorities where he can also contribute through is knowledge.

Till who joined HHL while already working at WEPA used HHL’s Part-Time Master in Management (M.Sc.) program to expand his thinking and built lasting friendships at HHL. It also laid the foundation for the entrepreneurial work he now leads at WEPA and in his current PhD research. What stayed with him most was the network. Even years after graduation, it’s still opening doors.

The trust between them didn’t need to be built from scratch. It was already there. The conversations they had as candidates, colleagues and co-builders were shaped by a shared set of values that had taken root years earlier in Leipzig. That background allowed them to focus on what really matters. Where to go next, what to build and how to make it count.

 Scaling Circular Ventures: The Impact of HHL Alumni

Today, the three of them are not just colleagues. They are part of a team that’s shaping how a traditional company can rethink growth, impact, and innovation. WEPA Ventures, led by Carl and Till, now operates as an integral part of the Business Unit Circular Solutions. The family venture capital firm invests in industrial and climate tech start-ups that align with WEPA’s broader mission. Patrick brings in his corporate and strategic experience to help these innovations land inside the business.

What brought them together wasn’t just a company or a job title. It was a shared belief in what business can do when people trust each other and work towards something bigger than themselves. The story didn’t start at WEPA. It started with questions about purpose, with ideas scribbled on whiteboards, and with the kind of network that turns into lasting collaborations.

A Reliable Network

All three of them stay involved in the HHL community not out of obligation but because it continues to matter. With WEPA they are regular sponsor and supporter of the student-led Accelerate Conference, they host alumni gatherings and they speak to current students about venture capital and circular business.

Till is active in organizing the HHL alumni chapter in Cologne, while Carl and Patrick stay connected through other events and meetups.

Their belief is: HHL experience doesn’t end at graduation – it’s a lifelong accelerator. Stay engaged with the HHL community – you never know where it might take you.

If you are working in the area of climate or industrial tech start-ups, renewable energy space or more broadly in circular economy and you’re interested in an exchange – Till, Carl, and Patrick are only a message away.