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BurdaVerlag – Publishing the Good Life

BurdaVerlag brings together all of Hubert Burda Media’s German publishing activities in one robust unit.

BurdaVerlag is a new type of publisher for a new era, incorporating the journalistic skills and great power of its various brands to tap into business growth opportunities on the German media market.

Philipp Welte is responsible for its operations and manages the company via a central management board.

BurdaVerlag is home to more than 160 print and digital media products that are read by 31 million people every month – 63 percent of the German population. The company is made up of the following divisions:

  • Publishing Premium is the base for all Fashion & Lifestyle, News and Food brands as well as TV magazines (e.g. TV Spielfilm and Cinema). This includes journalistic beacons such as Bunte and Focus and the Fashion & Lifestyle brands Freundin, Elle, Instyle, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire. In the Food segment, which also falls within its purview, Burda has set itself up as a market leader with popular titles such as Meine Familie & ich, Lust auf Genuss and the premium brand Gault&Millau.
  • Publishing Popular encompasses Health, Garden & Living, Entertainment and Women. Classic titles such as Lisa and Frau im Trend, the mindstyle magazine Ma Vie, and Super Illu, the most-read newsstand magazine in the East German states, are joined by market leaders such as Freizeit Revue, Mein schöner Garten – including Mein-Schoener-Garten.de, the successful e-commerce platform – and Wohnen & Garten. The NetDoktor.de health platform, a leader in the German-speaking region, is also part of this division, as is the My Life brand.
  • Publishing Kids is made up of Blue Ocean, a children’s publisher based in Stuttgart. Founded in 2005, it is Germany’s most successful provider of children’s magazines. Blue Ocean thrills young readers with magazines such as Lego, Playmobil, Bibi Blocksberg, Benjamin Blümchen and Die drei ???.
  • The Marketing division is responsible for marketing BurdaVerlag brands and products – both analogue and digital – on the advertising market via BCN. It is also home to a special Business Innovation department that develops innovative reach-based business models with a real focus on marketing.
  • The Operations division covers all technical aspects of production, magazine sales management, subscription and direct marketing, technological infrastructure and picture agencies. Finance maintains a commercial overview of the publishing business and is responsible for developing and monitoring all relevant and binding targets and metrics.
Philipp Welte
Board Member

Philipp Welte was born in 1962 and trained as a newspaper journalist. After studying political science and empirical cultural studies at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, he became a freelance journalist. In 1992, he moved to Leipzig to work at MDR, a public service broadcaster that was being developed as part of the ARD network.

He joined Hubert Burda Media in 1994 as head of communications. In late 1998, as managing director, he assumed responsibility for Bunte magazine. It was in this capacity that he launched the German edition of InStyle in 1999, the world’s first franchise of the successful US brand. He also founded the Burda People Group, which encompassed the STARnetONE entertainment unit in Berlin – the unit that produces Bambi, Europe’s most important media award.

In late 2006, Welte moved to Axel Springer, where he was appointed CEO of Bild T-Online AG in 2007 and became responsible for what is now Bild.de. In early 2008, he was named Chief Marketing Officer and managed Axel Springer Media Impact, the emerging multi-channel marketer. At the end of 2008, he was appointed to the Hubert Burda Media management board and has been in charge of the corporation’s national publishing business ever since.

Philipp Welte was born in 1962 and trained as a newspaper journalist. After studying political science and empirical cultural studies at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, he became a freelance journalist. In 1992, he moved to Leipzig to work at MDR, a public service broadcaster that was being developed as part of the ARD network.

He joined Hubert Burda Media in 1994 as head of communications. In late 1998, as managing director, he assumed responsibility for Bunte magazine. It was in this capacity that he launched the German edition of InStyle in 1999, the world’s first franchise of the successful US brand. He also founded the Burda People Group, which encompassed the STARnetONE entertainment unit in Berlin – the unit that produces Bambi, Europe’s most important media award.

In late 2006, Welte moved to Axel Springer, where he was appointed CEO of Bild T-Online AG in 2007 and became responsible for what is now Bild.de. In early 2008, he was named Chief Marketing Officer and managed Axel Springer Media Impact, the emerging multi-channel marketer. At the end of 2008, he was appointed to the Hubert Burda Media management board and has been in charge of the corporation’s national publishing business ever since.

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz
Managing director

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz launched her career in 1995 with the media publishing company MVG Medienverlagsgesellschaft. She then worked for Condé Nast as Advertising Director for Vogue until 2005. She made her Burda début as Head of Sales & Marketing for brands such as Bunte, InStyle and StarnetOne. After returning to Condé Nast as publisher of Vogue, Glamour and Myself, she came back to Burda in 2012 as managing director of BurdaStyle.

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz launched her career in 1995 with the media publishing company MVG Medienverlagsgesellschaft. She then worked for Condé Nast as Advertising Director for Vogue until 2005. She made her Burda début as Head of Sales & Marketing for brands such as Bunte, InStyle and StarnetOne. After returning to Condé Nast as publisher of Vogue, Glamour and Myself, she came back to Burda in 2012 as managing director of BurdaStyle.

Kay Labinsky
Managing director

Following managerial positions with Heinrich-Bauer-Verlag and Spiegel-Verlag, Kay Labinsky worked for Hubert Burda Media from 1999 to 2007, first as publishing director and later as managing director. From 2007, he was managing director of the Klambt media group, where he was responsible for all of the company’s magazines and digital activities. Kay Labinsky has been managing director of BurdaLife since late 2015.

Following managerial positions with Heinrich-Bauer-Verlag and Spiegel-Verlag, Kay Labinsky worked for Hubert Burda Media from 1999 to 2007, first as publishing director and later as managing director. From 2007, he was managing director of the Klambt media group, where he was responsible for all of the company’s magazines and digital activities. Kay Labinsky has been managing director of BurdaLife since late 2015.

Burkhard Graßmann
Managing director

Burkhard Graßmann was appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in early 2021. As part of this role, he is responsible for Marketing & Innovation at the newly established BurdaVerlag and thus for the (further) development of innovative and reach-based business models and the marketing of over 160 media products. Within BurdaVerlag, he also serves as managing director of BurdaVerlag Data Publishing GmbH and FactField GmbH and is the spokesperson for the management board of TEC The Enabling Company GmbH. He has also been the spokesperson for the management board of BCN Brand Community Network GmbH, Burda’s multi-channel marketer, since 2016, and the spokesperson for the management board of AdTech Factory GmbH, a technical service provider, since 2019. ​

Burkhard Graßmann joined Burda in 2011. Until 2020, he was the managing director of BurdaNews, an integrated media company with brands such as Focus, Fit for Fun and TV Spielfilm, before moving to the new BurdaVerlag at the end of 2020. 

Before this, he was the spokesperson for the management board of Payback GmbH. After studying business economics and humanities, he began his career at Hamburg-Mannheimer Sachversicherung. He then worked for EXPO Hannover and Deutsche Telekom, where he took on various management and board positions.

Burkhard Graßmann was appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in early 2021. As part of this role, he is responsible for Marketing & Innovation at the newly established BurdaVerlag and thus for the (further) development of innovative and reach-based business models and the marketing of over 160 media products. Within BurdaVerlag, he also serves as managing director of BurdaVerlag Data Publishing GmbH and FactField GmbH and is the spokesperson for the management board of TEC The Enabling Company GmbH. He has also been the spokesperson for the management board of BCN Brand Community Network GmbH, Burda’s multi-channel marketer, since 2016, and the spokesperson for the management board of AdTech Factory GmbH, a technical service provider, since 2019. ​

Burkhard Graßmann joined Burda in 2011. Until 2020, he was the managing director of BurdaNews, an integrated media company with brands such as Focus, Fit for Fun and TV Spielfilm, before moving to the new BurdaVerlag at the end of 2020. 

Before this, he was the spokesperson for the management board of Payback GmbH. After studying business economics and humanities, he began his career at Hamburg-Mannheimer Sachversicherung. He then worked for EXPO Hannover and Deutsche Telekom, where he took on various management and board positions.

Elisabeth Varn
Managing director

Elisabeth Varn, CFO/COO BurdaVerlag

Elisabeth Varn, CFO/COO BurdaVerlag

Facts
Divisions Publishing Premium, Publishing Popular, Publishing Kids, Finance, Marketing, Operations
Management Board Philipp Welte (Board member, Hubert Burda Media), Manuela Kampp-Wirtz (Chief Publishing Officer Premium), Kay Labinsky (Chief Publishing Officer Popular), Burkhard Graßmann (Chief Marketing Officer), Elisabeth Varn (Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer)
Publishing Kids managing partner Sigrun Kaiser
Main locations Munich, Offenburg, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart
Digital Reach 50 million unique users
Total reach 31 million readers per month
Magazines sold 280 million copies per month 
Employees > 1,700
PDF
Philipp Welte
Board Member

Philipp Welte was born in 1962 and trained as a newspaper journalist. After studying political science and empirical cultural studies at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, he became a freelance journalist. In 1992, he moved to Leipzig to work at MDR, a public service broadcaster that was being developed as part of the ARD network.

He joined Hubert Burda Media in 1994 as head of communications. In late 1998, as managing director, he assumed responsibility for Bunte magazine. It was in this capacity that he launched the German edition of InStyle in 1999, the world’s first franchise of the successful US brand. He also founded the Burda People Group, which encompassed the STARnetONE entertainment unit in Berlin – the unit that produces Bambi, Europe’s most important media award.

In late 2006, Welte moved to Axel Springer, where he was appointed CEO of Bild T-Online AG in 2007 and became responsible for what is now Bild.de. In early 2008, he was named Chief Marketing Officer and managed Axel Springer Media Impact, the emerging multi-channel marketer. At the end of 2008, he was appointed to the Hubert Burda Media management board and has been in charge of the corporation’s national publishing business ever since.

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz
Managing director

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz launched her career in 1995 with the media publishing company MVG Medienverlagsgesellschaft. She then worked for Condé Nast as Advertising Director for Vogue until 2005. She made her Burda début as Head of Sales & Marketing for brands such as Bunte, InStyle and StarnetOne. After returning to Condé Nast as publisher of Vogue, Glamour and Myself, she came back to Burda in 2012 as managing director of BurdaStyle.

Kay Labinsky
Managing director

Following managerial positions with Heinrich-Bauer-Verlag and Spiegel-Verlag, Kay Labinsky worked for Hubert Burda Media from 1999 to 2007, first as publishing director and later as managing director. From 2007, he was managing director of the Klambt media group, where he was responsible for all of the company’s magazines and digital activities. Kay Labinsky has been managing director of BurdaLife since late 2015.

Burkhard Graßmann
Managing director

Burkhard Graßmann was appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in early 2021. As part of this role, he is responsible for Marketing & Innovation at the newly established BurdaVerlag and thus for the (further) development of innovative and reach-based business models and the marketing of over 160 media products. Within BurdaVerlag, he also serves as managing director of BurdaVerlag Data Publishing GmbH and FactField GmbH and is the spokesperson for the management board of TEC The Enabling Company GmbH. He has also been the spokesperson for the management board of BCN Brand Community Network GmbH, Burda’s multi-channel marketer, since 2016, and the spokesperson for the management board of AdTech Factory GmbH, a technical service provider, since 2019. ​

Burkhard Graßmann joined Burda in 2011. Until 2020, he was the managing director of BurdaNews, an integrated media company with brands such as Focus, Fit for Fun and TV Spielfilm, before moving to the new BurdaVerlag at the end of 2020. 

Before this, he was the spokesperson for the management board of Payback GmbH. After studying business economics and humanities, he began his career at Hamburg-Mannheimer Sachversicherung. He then worked for EXPO Hannover and Deutsche Telekom, where he took on various management and board positions.

Elisabeth Varn
Managing director

Elisabeth Varn, CFO/COO BurdaVerlag

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