About Gero Hesse

Where WorkTech meets Attitude

I’m Gero Hesse, founder of SAATKORN and CEO of EMBRACE.
I founded SAATKORN in 2009—driven by curiosity about how work, recruiting, and HR are changing. What began as a personal blog has grown over the years into a platform focused on HR, WorkTech, and the future of work.
To date, SAATKORN has published more than 2,000 articles, interviews, and guest posts, as well as over 550 podcast episodes. Along the way, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with founders, HR decision-makers, thought leaders, and international HR and WorkTech experts about the future of the world of work.
Today, SAATKORN stands for “Where WorkTech meets Attitude”: independent content, podcasts, and WorkTech discovery meet perspective, context, and personal insights.
The SAATKORN WorkTech Directory adds another dimension: greater transparency in a market that’s becoming increasingly complex due to new technologies, AI, and a nearly overwhelming number of solutions. My goal:

to help HR decision-makers make better WorkTech decisions.

After all, I’m never interested in technology just for technology’s sake. What matters most to me is the connection between WorkTech and attitude: What does technology change—and what mindset do people and organizations need to make meaningful use of it and achieve real impact?

Two Perspectives on the Future of Work

SAATKORN is one of my two career paths.

My primary role is as CEO of EMBRACE, a Bertelsmann Investments company. Through our companies and brands, we work with approximately 7,500 clients in the DACH region toward a common goal: to help organizations attract, hire, and develop the next generation of talent.

The EMBRACE Family includes Studyflix, Ausbildung.de, and Vocanto, which we use to attract and recruit young talent and prepare them for graduation, as well as our HR tech division with the applicant tracking system beesite and the m&z agency for employer branding.

For me, these two roles complement each other quite perfectly:
With EMBRACE, I build and scale companies that develop concrete solutions for HR. At SAATKORN, I observe and discuss the market, talk to fascinating people, analyze trends, and provide transparency regarding technologies and providers.

I know both sides of the table

In addition to this dual perspective, there’s a third one that’s particularly important to me:
I was an HR decision-maker myself for many years.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, I worked for nearly ten years in Bertelsmann’s Central Human Resources department—most recently as Senior Vice President of Human Resources. There, I was responsible for employer branding, recruiting, payroll, benefits, and workplace health management, among other things.
That experience continues to shape my perspective to this day. That’s because I know HR and WorkTech not just from the perspective of an entrepreneur, service provider, or market observer. I’ve sat on the other side of the table myself—with responsibility for processes, budgets, technologies, and, above all, people.
That helps me in both roles today. At EMBRACE, we develop and scale solutions for HR organizations. At SAATKORN, I tackle questions I know from my own experience: What does HR really need? Which technologies solve real problems? And which of these actually work in day-to-day business operations?

I’ve also been writing about these topics for many years. I’ve published books and studies and contributed to various trade publications. I was particularly pleased in 2024 to be included in Personalwirtschaft’s list of the “50 HR Visionaries from 50 Years.” SAATKORN has also received several awards over the years—including “HR Blog of the Year” as early as 2012.
I’m delighted by such recognition. At the same time, I know from my own experience that behind most successes—which ultimately result in a name on a certificate—there are quite a few amazing people.
I’m also active on the advisory board of the Federal Association for Employer Branding and Recruiting, QUEB e.V.

And Beyond Work?

I live with my wife and our four children in Gütersloh.

When I’m not thinking about WorkTech, AI, or the future of work, you’ll most likely find me on my gravel bike, surfing, or skiing. I love good movies and loud rock music—though my definition of “reasonable volume” isn’t entirely uncontroversial within our family.

With that in mind: #havefun.