Burda sharpens strategy for German publishing business

Following the reorganisation of the management of BurdaVerlag and BurdaForward, Martin Weiss and Philipp Welte, the board members responsible for publishing activities in Germany, have specified the strategies of the two publishing units. While BurdaForward focuses on the expansion of its high reach model with its digital portfolio, BurdaVerlag will expand its digital journalistic offering alongside its profitable magazine business and increasingly refinance it via paid content models in the future.  

"Burda's economic success has been based for many years on the balance between different business models. We are convinced of both the monetisation of high reach and journalistic paid services and will continue to develop both models."

Martin Weiss, CEO Hubert Burda Media

"People's trust in the journalistic quality of our brands is our most valuable asset, and this is the foundation the BurdaVerlag is built on. We will therefore continue to invest in excellent journalistic products in our publishing house and work on payment models for our content on digital channels. BurdaVerlag is the right home for high-quality journalism under big brands”

Philipp Welte, Board member Hubert Burda Media

The excellent further development of the magazine business and the establishment of new digital business models under the flag of major media brands are therefore the most important strategic tasks for the two Managing Directors, Manuela Kampp-Wirtz and Elisabeth Varn. Manuela Kampp-Wirtz is responsible for the publishing divisions Lifestyle, News, Facts, the investment area of TEC and the TV business of BurdaStudios. In addition, she manages the expansion of the publisher's digital business models and will represent the interests of the BurdaVerlag on the advisory board of BCN, the joint marketer of Burda, Funke and Klambt. Elisabeth Varn is responsible for the segments Women & Entertainment, Screens, Garden & Living, Food and Health as well as the children's publisher Blue Ocean Entertainment. She is also responsible for the cross-divisional departments, including Sales and Finance & Operations.

The two Managing Directors will appoint a Management Board on 1 January 2024. Elfi Langefeld and Sven Dams will assume strategic responsibility for product and marketing as Chief Product Officers (CPO), while Rebecca Gottwald will head operations as Chief Operating Officer (COO) on the new BurdaVerlag Management Board. Florian Buck will manage the company's finances as Chief Finance Officer (CFO). Martin Weese, previously COO of BurdaInternational Holding, will be responsible for the consistent expansion of the publisher's digital business models as Chief Digital Officer (CDO).

"We believe in our strong brands. Each of them has the potential for a variety of successful business models - in print, digital, video or live formats - that we will now exploit even more consistently. I am very much looking forward to working together with Eli Varn and our great colleagues to align the future of the publishing house even more consistently with high-quality journalism and strong brands, also digitally."

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz, Managing Director BurdaVerlag

"BurdaVerlag will manage its magazine business excellently, develop new journalistic business models for the digital world and work efficiently and technologically innovatively. In addition to our great employees, we have been able to attract a top management team for these tasks, and I am very much looking forward to working together on the future of our publishing business".

Elisabeth Varn, Managing Director BurdaVerlag