Henkel Sponsors Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) World Cup in Los Angeles

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Oct 04, 2010, 04:33 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- From October 10-12, more than 1,000 college students who are using their business skills to improve the lives of others will meet in Los Angeles for the 2010 SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) World Cup. The students will present the results of their community outreach projects to panels of business leaders serving as judges, with one team ultimately winning the title of SIFE World Cup Champion. Henkel, the company behind leading brands such as Dial® soaps, Purex® laundry detergents, and Loctite® adhesives, is a Host Sponsor of the SIFE World Cup, and Bill Tyree, Senior Vice President of Sales, will be a judge at the competition.

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SIFE is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Students form teams on their campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.

Henkel has worked with SIFE since 1988 and has been a World Cup sponsor since 2002. Many Henkel executives, including retired CEO Ulrich Lehner, have served as judges at SIFE competitions around the world. "Our partnership with SIFE has been mutually rewarding. Our executives enjoy contributing their expertise as judges and advisors, and SIFE offers Henkel the opportunity to present ourselves as an employer to highly motivated college students who will be looking for jobs in the near future," said Nicole Nelson, Manager of Corporate Staffing for Henkel.

At the 2010 SIFE World Cup in Los Angeles, approximately 40 national champion teams will present their community outreach projects to a prestigious group of international business leaders. Through a written annual report and live audio-visual presentation, teams will be evaluated based on how successful they were at creating economic opportunity for others. For example, the 2009 SIFE World Cup Champions from the French University of Egypt established a project on the island of El-Warraq, one of the poorest communities in Egypt with high rates of unemployment and illiteracy. The SIFE team established a job training program to teach sewing skills to the local women, enabling them to earn incomes to support their families, and provided marketing assistance to help them sell their finished goods.

For more information on SIFE, visit www.sife.org.

Henkel in North America:

Henkel markets a wide range of well-known consumer and industrial brands in North America, including Dial® soaps, Purex® laundry detergents, Right Guard® antiperspirants, got2b® hair gels, and Loctite® adhesives. Visit www.henkelna.com for more information.

Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 50,000 people and reported sales of $18.86 billion and adjusted operating profit of $1.84 billion in fiscal 2009. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX and the company ranks among the Fortune Global 500.