Career

Herbert began his career in science and engineering before moving into government, working for the German FDP. He joined SAP and over 12 years rose from personal assistant and speechwriter for co-founder Hasso Plattner to Chief Communications Officer, advising CEOs Henning Kagermann, Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. He then led global external communications at Shell as Executive Vice President, before joining Bayer as Executive Vice President for Global Brand, Communications and Government Relations.

European Association of Communication Directors

Beyond his corporate career, he founded the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) in Brussels, serving as its president for 12 consecutive years and connecting over 1,000 senior communicators across 23 countries. He chaired the International Chamber of Commerce’s E-Business, IT and Telecoms Commission and has been named to the Holmes Report Influence 100. Herbert holds a doctorate from TU Dortmund and studied at INSEAD.

Advisory Role at LiveTube

His consultancy Karaktero advises C-suite leaders on brand, reputation, and stakeholder engagement. For LiveTube, Herbert provides deep insight into how global organizations communicate, build trust, and manage reputation in high-stakes environments.