Dr Bertram Stausberg, Managing Director of Axel Springer Print Management GmbH, was elected as the new President at the Annual General Meeting of the Federal Association of Printing and Media (BVDM) in Berlin. He succeeds Wolfgang Poppen, who is stepping down from his post ahead of schedule after twelve years.
In his inaugural speech, Stausberg emphasised the importance of effective association work: “Jointly defining priorities and a clearly coordinated division of responsibilities provide precisely the support that companies in our sector need in a challenging market environment. In addition to the support and assistance provided to businesses by the regional associations, the BVDM strengthens these regional associations and their members through robust advocacy at national and European level, ensuring that the concerns of the printing and media industry are heard by policymakers and public authorities.”
In addition to Wolfgang Poppen, Vice-President Sönke Boyens also stepped down from his post ahead of schedule. Stefan Mail, Managing Director of Mail Druck + Medien, was elected as his successor. The new BVDM Executive Committee is composed as follows: Dr Bertram Stausberg, Axel Springer Print Management GmbH; Stefan Mail, Mail Druck + Medien; Dr-Ing Steffen Leistner, Druckerei Zschiesche GmbH. Other members include Kirsten Hommelhoff, Federal Association of Printing and Media; Holger Busch, Bavarian Association of Printing and Media; Oliver Curdt, North-West Association of Printing and Media; and Philipp von Trotha, North-East Association of Printing and Media.
“This election has resulted in the formation of an experienced and committed body that will actively support and shape the interests of the printing industry. Particularly in times of far-reaching economic and political change, a professionally sound, entrepreneurially minded and politically competent representation of interests is of particular importance,” says Kirsten Hommelhoff, Chief Executive of the BVDM.
In addition to the new elections, the delegates engaged in in-depth discussions on the current economic and industrial policy framework. In doing so, they identified key areas for action for the coming year: reducing bureaucratic burdens, ensuring competitive energy prices, securing a skilled workforce, promoting innovation, increasing flexibility in the labour market, and establishing reliable and investment-friendly framework conditions.
BVDM
The Federal Association of Printing and Media (BVDM) is the umbrella organisation for the German printing industry. As an employers’ organisation, a political trade association and a technical trade association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry in dealings with politicians, public authorities, trade unions and the supply industry. The BVDM is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership of Intergraf and FESPA.
