Research date: 22 October 2026 Company: Beiersdorf AG Scope: Beiersdorf AG, relevant consolidated entities, Alpa-BDF Ltd., tesa SE, controlling shareholders and identifiable executives. Evidence period: Historical records through October 2026.
Corporate Communications & Public Stance
Official Israel-Palestine statements
No public evidence identified of an official Beiersdorf AG statement expressly addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict, Palestinian civilian casualties, Israeli settlement policy or the Gaza military campaign in the material examined for this audit.
Comparative geopolitical communications
On 2 January 2024, Beiersdorf published an official statement concerning Ukraine that explicitly condemned Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine and described financial, logistical and employee assistance undertaken in response to the invasion.1
The statement reports that Beiersdorf initiated a €2 million humanitarian donation in March 2022 to the German Red Cross and CARE Deutschland, and subsequently matched €100,000 in employee donations, producing €200,000 in combined employee and corporate matching contributions.1
The company also reported donating more than 650,000 skin-care and personal-care products to refugees from Ukraine across Europe and providing accommodation for people fleeing Ukraine at a company property in Hamburg.1
Beiersdorf stated that it suspended commercial activities involving La Prairie and tesa in Russia, stopped advertising there and substantially restricted the NIVEA and Eucerin portfolios to basic skin-care and personal-care products.1
Market framing
Beiersdorf’s global-presence directory lists Alpa-BDF Ltd. as its Israeli entity at Medinat Hayehudim 89, Herzliya, Israel, without presenting that listing as a government, military or geopolitical partnership.2
Alpa Cosmetics describes the creation of Alpa-BDF in 2019 as a joint venture with Beiersdorf that further established the NIVEA and Labello brands in Israel.3
Beiersdorf’s 2025 consolidated financial statements identify Alpa-BDF Ltd. among entities contributing to the group’s non-controlling interests, confirming its inclusion in the reported corporate group for that financial year.4
Post-July 2024 and post-November 2024
The 2025 financial statements, published in March 2026, continued to identify Alpa-BDF Ltd. as a group entity, while the official global-presence directory still listed it when accessed in October 2026.4, 2
No public evidence identified of a conflict-specific Beiersdorf political statement, military donation or settlement endorsement continuing or escalating after either July 2024 or November 2024.
Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories
Israel: identifiable corporate presence
Alpa Cosmetics states that it established Alpa-BDF with Beiersdorf in 2019 to expand the Israeli presence of NIVEA and Labello.3
Beiersdorf independently identifies Alpa-BDF Ltd. in its global corporate-location directory, providing a Herzliya address.2
The 2025 consolidated financial statements identify Alpa-BDF Ltd. as an entity with non-controlling interests, confirming that the Israeli joint-venture relationship was reflected in Beiersdorf’s 2025 group accounts.4
Occupied Palestinian territory and settlements
No public evidence identified establishing a Beiersdorf-owned manufacturing facility, office, warehouse, service contract or corporate branch inside an Israeli settlement or other occupied Palestinian territory.
No public evidence identified establishing that Alpa-BDF operates a settlement-based branch, supplies a named settlement authority or participates in a settlement infrastructure project.
Group industrial distribution
Beiersdorf identifies tesa as a group business specialising in adhesive solutions, alongside its skin-care brands.5
tesa’s distribution-network information, updated on 6 May 2026, describes an international network of authorised industrial adhesive distributors, converters and resellers.6
No public evidence identified establishing a specific tesa contract with the Israel Defense Forces, Israel Ministry of Defence or a settlement administration.
Legal and regulatory scrutiny
No public evidence identified of a specific settlement-related court judgment, regulatory sanction, OECD National Contact Point determination or UN settlement-business database entry naming Beiersdorf or Alpa-BDF.
Civil-society and boycott campaigns
Ethical Consumer’s Beiersdorf company profile associates the company with NIVEA and Eucerin and states that its database identifies no active company boycotts.7
No public evidence identified establishing a formally documented, Beiersdorf-specific campaign by the BDS Movement, Who Profits or AFSC accompanied by a verified settlement or military-supply allegation.
No public evidence identified of a Beiersdorf corporate response to a specific Israel-Palestine-related boycott campaign.
Internal Governance, Content & Retail Policies
Employee relations and political speech
Beiersdorf’s 2025 Executive Board disclosures assign human-resources responsibility to Nicola D. Lafrentz and identify corporate governance responsibilities across the group’s management structure.8
No public evidence identified of Beiersdorf dismissing, disciplining or otherwise sanctioning employees specifically for pro-Palestinian speech, symbols, fundraising or trade-union activity.
No public evidence identified of related employee litigation, union proceedings or administrative findings.
Content moderation and editorial policy
Beiersdorf identifies its main businesses as skin care and adhesives, including NIVEA, Eucerin, Hansaplast, La Prairie and tesa.5
No public evidence identified of company-operated social-media moderation systems, mapping platforms or editorial distribution services suppressing Palestinian content.
No public evidence identified of conflict-related algorithmic bias investigations or government-directed removal of Palestine-related content by a Beiersdorf platform.
Retail labelling and supply-chain practices
The disclosed Israeli joint venture concerns the commercial distribution and presence of NIVEA and Labello in Israel.3
No public evidence identified of Beiersdorf products manufactured in Israeli settlements or of settlement-origin goods being incorrectly labelled as products of Israel.
No public evidence identified of a regulator finding that Beiersdorf or Alpa-BDF misrepresented the origin of settlement-produced products.
Reservist employment and charitable matching
Beiersdorf’s published Ukraine response documents company matching of employee humanitarian donations for that conflict.1
No public evidence identified identifying an Israeli military-reservist salary subsidy programme, a conflict-related reservist bonus or an IDF/FIDF-eligible charitable matching programme within Beiersdorf or Alpa-BDF.
Brand Heritage & State Partnerships
Corporate and brand origins
[pre-2020] Beiersdorf traces its foundation to 28 March 1882, the date of pharmacist Paul C. Beiersdorf’s medical-plaster patent, and describes its subsequent development as a skin-care and medical-products business.9
[pre-2020] The company states that Oscar Troplowitz acquired the business in 1890 and expanded its commercial activities, including the development of internationally distributed consumer brands.9
[pre-2020] Beiersdorf dates the introduction of NIVEA Creme to 1911 and attributes its development to commercial skin-care research involving Oscar Troplowitz, Paul Gerson Unna and Isaac Lifschütz.10
Beiersdorf’s present corporate description identifies its principal activities as skin care and adhesive solutions and lists NIVEA, Eucerin, Hansaplast, La Prairie, Chantecaille and tesa among its brands.5
Military or state-security branding
No public evidence identified of Beiersdorf presenting Israeli military affiliations, defence-sector heritage or Israeli state-security credentials as part of its consumer-brand positioning.
Institutional and governmental partnerships
The identifiable Israeli institutional relationship is the commercial joint venture established with Alpa Cosmetics in 2019.3
No public evidence identified of Beiersdorf sponsoring a named Israeli governmental public-relations campaign or a settlement-promotion event.
No public evidence identified of a formal non-commercial partnership with an Israeli military academy, defence ministry or settlement organisation.
No public evidence identified of a conflict-related Israeli state honour awarded to Beiersdorf executives in connection with the company’s business.
Lobbying, Advocacy, Financing & Logistics
Political lobbying and pressure groups
No public evidence identified of Beiersdorf, Alpa-BDF or tesa undertaking lobbying specifically concerning Israeli settlement policy, Palestinian statehood, Gaza military operations or anti-BDS legislation.
No public evidence identified of a Beiersdorf corporate PAC or named executive donation specifically financing an Israel-Palestine geopolitical lobbying campaign.
Corporate financing and donations
Beiersdorf’s documented response to the Ukraine invasion included a €2 million humanitarian donation initiated in March 2022, employee-donation matching, substantial product donations and accommodation support.1
No public evidence identified establishing a Beiersdorf or Alpa-BDF corporate donation to the IDF, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Jewish National Fund/KKL, Regavim, Im Tirtzu, Israeli reservist-support organisations or a settlement-development organisation.
No public evidence identified establishing a Beiersdorf-funded Israeli military-welfare programme.
Crisis logistics and asset mobilisation
Beiersdorf’s January 2024 Ukraine statement describes transport, accommodation, healthcare, psychological support and material assistance supplied to employees and Ukrainian refugees.1
No public evidence identified of equivalent Beiersdorf corporate resources, facilities, logistics, free services or product stock being formally mobilised for the Israeli armed forces or a military-aligned organisation during the Gaza conflict.
Shareholder and governance mechanisms
Beiersdorf’s 2025 remuneration disclosures identify corporate growth, digitalisation, sustainability, organisational performance and business-development objectives among executive performance criteria.11
No public evidence identified of a Beiersdorf shareholder resolution concerning Israel-Palestine human-rights due diligence being blocked, withdrawn under pressure or excluded from a shareholder meeting.
Settlement sponsorship and financing
No public evidence identified of the company or an identifiable controlling principal funding a settlement-sponsored conference, settlement cultural event or settlement expansion programme.
Corporate Structure & Primary Mission
Corporate organisation
Beiersdorf’s shareholder-information page identifies the maxingvest group as holding 54.4% of the company’s outstanding shares, with 36.9% attributed to free float and 8.7% held as treasury shares.12
The 2025 annual-report related-party disclosures identify BBG Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH as the direct controlling parent and maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA as the indirect controlling parent.13
The same disclosures identify Wolfgang Herz as Beiersdorf’s ultimate controlling related party and Michael Herz as an individual exercising significant influence over maxingvest.13
The 2025 statutory shareholding disclosures describe voting-rights notifications made in June 2023 by the Max und Ingeburg Herz Stiftung, IH Zweite GmbH and named Herz family members concerning the crossing of the 50% voting-rights threshold.14
The 2024 annual-report related-party notes identify substantially the same controlling-parent and Herz-family structure, providing an additional reporting-period reference.15
Subsidiaries and affiliated entities
Beiersdorf’s 2025 consolidated statements identify Alpa-BDF Ltd. among its principal entities with non-controlling interests, alongside other joint-venture or partly owned subsidiaries.4
The group identifies tesa as a continuing part of Beiersdorf’s international adhesives business.5
The company’s 2025 annual-report homepage describes its business strategy, group performance, sales and sustainability activities and identifies 22,399 employees at 31 December 2025.16
Foundational mandate
[pre-2020] Beiersdorf’s recorded commercial origins concern medical plasters, dermatological research and the development of consumer-care brands.9
No public evidence identified of a state-held golden share, Israeli state ownership right or explicit corporate constitutional mandate to advance Israeli geopolitical, settlement or military objectives.
Executive & Leadership Footprint
Identified controlling principals
The 2025 annual-report related-party disclosures identify Wolfgang Herz as the ultimate controlling related party and Michael Herz as a person exercising significant influence over the parent company.13
The 2025 shareholding note names Wolfgang, Michael, Alexander, Benjamin, Maximilian and Paul Herz, together with Svenja Haux and associated entities, in the June 2023 voting-rights disclosures.14
CEO and Executive Board
The 2025 management disclosures identify Vincent Warnery as Chief Executive Officer and describe his responsibilities for corporate strategy, research, sustainability, communications and related functions.17
The 2025 statutory board disclosures identify Astrid Hermann, Nicola D. Lafrentz, Grita Loebsack, Ramon A. Mirt and Oswald Barckhahn among the company’s executive leadership.8
The 2024 statutory board disclosures provide an earlier reference point for the leadership structure, including the roles of Vincent Warnery and the principal functional board members.18
Supervisory Board and shareholder control
Beiersdorf’s supervisory-board disclosures identify Wolfgang Herz as a member of the Supervisory Board since April 2020 and document positions involving Participia Holding, maxingvest, Tchibo, Blume2000 and TOPP Holding.19
The company’s 2025 board disclosures also identify Wolfgang Herz’s roles and list other members’ professional and supervisory-board affiliations.8
Personal donations and family foundations
No public evidence identified of a verified personal donation by Wolfgang Herz, Michael Herz, Vincent Warnery or another identified executive to the IDF, FIDF, JNF/KKL or an Israeli settlement organisation.
No public evidence identified of the Max und Ingeburg Herz Stiftung making a grant to an Israeli military-welfare body or settlement advocacy organisation.
Public advocacy
No public evidence identified of a conflict-specific public statement by Vincent Warnery, Wolfgang Herz or Michael Herz advocating Israeli settlement expansion, military action against Palestinians or suppression of Palestinian political expression.
No public evidence identified of a signed anti-BDS letter or Israel-Palestine geopolitical advocacy campaign attributable to the identified senior executives.
Board appointments and political affiliations
The published 2025 governance disclosures identify supervisory-board, corporate-management and affiliated-company appointments for Beiersdorf’s senior leadership.8, 20
No public evidence identified establishing that an identified controlling principal or executive held a governing position in AIPAC, FIDF, JNF/KKL, Regavim, Im Tirtzu or another organisation involved in Israel-Palestine geopolitical advocacy.
Executive remuneration and incentives
Beiersdorf’s 2025 remuneration disclosures describe financial and operational performance criteria for executives, including the CEO’s responsibilities for business development, digitalisation and sustainability.11
The 2025 remuneration comparison reports Vincent Warnery’s compensation and identifies his appointment as Chairman of the Executive Board on 1 May 2021.21
No public evidence identified linking an executive remuneration target to Israeli government contracts, settlement activity, military assistance or Israel-Palestine political advocacy.
Footnotes
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Beiersdorf, “Our Support for Ukraine,” 2 January 2024. https://www.beiersdorf.com/newsroom/press-news/all-news/2024/01/02-our-support-for-ukraine ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
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Beiersdorf, “Our Global Presence,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.com/about-us/locations/global-presence?rt=636837936700391268 ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Alpa Cosmetics, “About,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.alpa-cosmetics.co.il/en/%D7%90%D7%95%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Non-Controlling Interests,” published 3 March 2026. https://www.reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-balance-sheet/non-controlling-interests.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Beiersdorf, “Discover Beiersdorf,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.com/about-us ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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tesa, “Distribution Network,” updated 6 May 2026. https://www.tesa.com/en-gb/industry/markets/distribution-partners/distribution-network ↩
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Ethical Consumer, “Beiersdorf AG - Company Ethical Profile,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/company-profile/beiersdorf-ag ↩
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft Boards,” published March 2026. https://www.reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-consolidated-financial-statements/beiersdorf-aktiengesellschaft-boards.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Beiersdorf, “Our Founding History,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.com/about-us/our-history/founding-history ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Beiersdorf, “Brand History NIVEA,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.com/brands/brand-history/nivea ↩
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Remuneration Structure and Elements,” published March 2026. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/additional-information/remuneration-report/remuneration-of-the-executive-board/remuneration-structure-and-elements.html ↩ ↩2
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Beiersdorf, “Shareholder Structure and Market Capitalization,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.com/investor-relations/shares/shareholder-structure ↩
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Related Party Disclosures,” published March 2026. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-consolidated-financial-statements/other-disclosures/related-party-disclosures.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Shareholdings in Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft,” published March 2026. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-consolidated-financial-statements/other-disclosures/shareholdings-in-beiersdorf-aktiengesellschaft.html ↩ ↩2
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2024, “Related Party Disclosures,” published 2025. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2024/consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-consolidated-financial-statements/other-disclosures/related-party-disclosures.html ↩
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Beiersdorf, “Annual Report 2025,” published 3 March 2026. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/ ↩
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Management Team,” published March 2026. https://www.reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/to-our-shareholders/management-team.html ↩
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2024, “Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft Boards,” published 2025. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2024/consolidated-financial-statements/notes-to-the-consolidated-financial-statements/beiersdorf-aktiengesellschaft-boards.html ↩
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Beiersdorf, “Aufsichtsrat,” corporate Supervisory Board biographies, accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.de/ueber-uns/unser-profil/aufsichtsrat ↩
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Beiersdorf, “Our Leadership Team,” accessed 22 October 2026. https://www.beiersdorf.com/about-us/our-profile/our-leadership-team ↩
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Beiersdorf, Annual Report 2025, “Change in Remuneration and Earnings Performance,” published March 2026. https://reports.beiersdorf.com/annual-report/2025/additional-information/remuneration-report/change-in-remuneration-and-earnings-performance.html ↩