Dr. Mathias Döpfner - CEO, Axel Springer SE

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Axel Springer AG – 2002 to present. Axel Springer is an integrated international multimedia company. Dr Mathias Döpfner, born 1963, studied musicology, German and theatrical arts. He started his career as a journalist at the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" in 1982. He was director of a PR agency from 1988 to 1990. In 1992 he worked for Gruner + Jahr publishing group in Paris and later became assistant to the CEO of Gruner + Jahr in Hamburg. He then held further positions in journalism as editor-in-chief of "Wochenpost" in Berlin (1994–1996) and "Hamburger Morgenpost" (1996–1998). He has been with Axel Springer AG since 1998. Initially as editor-in-chief of Die Welt. He was invited to join the executive board in July 2000 and was appointed CEO in January 2002.