Henrion founder dies at 60

Henrion Ludlow Schmidt founder and chief executive Dr Klaus Schmidt has died suddenly aged 60 at his home in London.

For over 30 years, he was a leading exponent of the theory and practice of branding and corporate identity, working for brands such as Mercedes-Benz, coffee makers Krups, Roche Diagnostics and Dresdner Bank.

Schmidt was born in Salzgitter, Germany, but lived for several decades in England. In 1981, he became a founding partner in Henrion Ludlow Schmidt, London and Hamburg.

He defined an approach to branding and identity management called the Holistic Solutions concept, which helped him earn the consultancy a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2001.

Additionally, Schmidt initiated pan-European studies on branding and identity management as the author and editor of a number of books, including Inclusive Branding and The Quest for Identity, publications and essays.