Dr. Henning Frhr. von Soden

Head of People Relations & Culture Europe / EWC secretary / Certified Business Mediator & Systemic Business Coach

Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

About

- You're never too important to be NICE to people! Leadership is about being STRONG & KIND -   Human Resources executive (business partner/generalist and (in-house) labor law attorney) with substantial industry/manufacturing experience in international matrix and functional organizations with fast paste change cultures (US/UK incl. private equity driven). Well positioned for providing preemptive operational and strategic HR business partnering and employment law support in German and English. Focus on coaching of executives and senior leaders, providing guidance as an HR business leader along with legal advise in labour and employment law as well as helping to create an entrepreneurial labor relation culture. Certified business mediator and systemic Business Coach able to help avoiding conflicts and develop them into solutions. Specialties: HR Partnering on Executive Level; German (collective) Labour and employment law, systemic coaching, works council negotiations and business mediation

Experience

  • bp (8 yrs 6 mos)
    • Head of People Relations & Culture Europe / EWC secretary
      Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Regional Human Resources Director UK&Europe (CoE for Industrial/Employee Relations and Labour Law)
      Mar 2022 - Jan 2026 · 3 yrs 11 mos

      Team leader of UK&Europe Human Resouces CoE team (5 direct reports/team of 8). Responsible for driving a commercially focused mindset for sustainable business decision making in employee&industrial relation matters&negotitaions for a workforce of more than 30.000 people in the region.

    • Head of Industrial Relations & Human Resources Policies Germany
      Jan 2019 - Mar 2022 · 3 yrs 3 mos

  • Hexion Inc. (Duisburg Area, Germany)
    • Human Resources Director Europe & APAC
      Aug 2017 - Dec 2017 · 5 mos

      Team leader of the EU&APAC field HR team (8 direct reports) responsible for about 2000 associates at 20 production sites. Operational and strategic HR&Legal Advisor, Mediator and Coach supporting the regional Management teams in EU&APAC (EU: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain&UK; APAC: China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan&Thailand. Responsible for driving and developing HR Processes and Policies, leadership coaching and digital HR-Transformation.

    • HR Director Germany & Global Epoxy Manufacturing
      Aug 2016 - Aug 2017 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Team leader of the German field HR team (12 indirect/direct reports) responsible for about 1000 associates at 4 production sites / HR Business partner for the global VP for Manufacturing in the Epoxy resin BU (8 production sites in the EU, Asia and US with 1300 associates in total)

    • Human Resources & Labor Relations Manager Germany
      Jun 2013 - Jul 2016 · 3 yrs 2 mos

      Head of German operational HR (12 direct HRM and HRRep reports working in 5 plants serving 1000 associates and taking care of the apprentice programm) ; CoE for Labor law and works council relations

  • HR Manager/Senior Labour Counsel Germany at Momentive Specialty Chemicals GmbH
    Oct 2010 - Jun 2013 · 2 yrs 9 mos

  • Inhouse Lawyer/Legal counsel - Data protection officer at Hexion Inc.
    Apr 2007 - Oct 2010 · 3 yrs 7 mos

    Sole responsible legal counsel Germany taking care of all legal matters including bilingual contract negotiations, negotiations with works council and HR, customers and authorities, legal proceedings, advising supervisory board members and managing directors

  • Lawyer/attorney (admitted to bar) at Lindenau, Prior & Partner attorneys Düsseldorf
    Mar 2006 - Sep 2006 · 7 mos