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Mathias Döpfner
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Mathias Döpfner
Mathias Döpfner (born 15 January 1963) is a German businessman, author, art collector, and journalist. He is the CEO of media group Axel Springer SE and, together with Friede Springer, holds 95% of the share in the company. From 2016 to 2022 he was president of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV).
After working as editor-in-chief for several newspapers, he joined the management board of Axel Springer SE in 2000. Friede Springer, head of the media group and widow of founder Axel Springer, designated Döpfner as her successor in 2020 and gave voting rights and shares valued at over 1 billion Euros to him in 2021.
Döpfner was born on 15 January 1963 in Bonn. He grew up in Offenbach am Main. His mother was a housewife and his father, Dieter C. Döpfner, was a university professor of architecture and director of the Offenbach College of Applied Arts from 1966 to 1970.
Döpfner studied musicology, German literature and theater science in Frankfurt and Boston. He obtained a Ph.D. in musicology in 1990 from the University of Frankfurt. A committee of the university found in 2023 that he had engaged in scientific misconduct by using a number of blind quotations and unchecked literature references. The committee found a significantly lower plagiarism count than the original complaint alleged. Because of this, the findings were not sufficient to revoke his doctoral degree.
Döpfner began his career in 1982 as the music critic of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) supplement. In 1992, after working as the FAZ correspondent in Brussels, Döpfner moved to Gruner + Jahr – initially working under board member Axel Ganz in Paris, then as an assistant to CEO Gerd Schulte-Hillen.
In April 1994, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of the Berlin weekly newspaper Wochenpost, and in 1996, he assumed the role of editor-in-chief of the Hamburg tabloid Hamburger Morgenpost.
In March 1998, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of Axel Springer SE's national daily newspaper Die Welt. He was a member of the management board and head of the newspaper division of Axel Springer SE in 2000, and rose to CEO in 2002.
As CEO, Döpfner initiated a two-stage digital transformation strategy, beginning in 2006, focusing on organic growth and digital acquisitions to transition the company towards digitization. By 2013, under his leadership, the company had total revenues of $3.9 billion, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $625 million.
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Mathias Döpfner
Mathias Döpfner (born 15 January 1963) is a German businessman, author, art collector, and journalist. He is the CEO of media group Axel Springer SE and, together with Friede Springer, holds 95% of the share in the company. From 2016 to 2022 he was president of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV).
After working as editor-in-chief for several newspapers, he joined the management board of Axel Springer SE in 2000. Friede Springer, head of the media group and widow of founder Axel Springer, designated Döpfner as her successor in 2020 and gave voting rights and shares valued at over 1 billion Euros to him in 2021.
Döpfner was born on 15 January 1963 in Bonn. He grew up in Offenbach am Main. His mother was a housewife and his father, Dieter C. Döpfner, was a university professor of architecture and director of the Offenbach College of Applied Arts from 1966 to 1970.
Döpfner studied musicology, German literature and theater science in Frankfurt and Boston. He obtained a Ph.D. in musicology in 1990 from the University of Frankfurt. A committee of the university found in 2023 that he had engaged in scientific misconduct by using a number of blind quotations and unchecked literature references. The committee found a significantly lower plagiarism count than the original complaint alleged. Because of this, the findings were not sufficient to revoke his doctoral degree.
Döpfner began his career in 1982 as the music critic of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) supplement. In 1992, after working as the FAZ correspondent in Brussels, Döpfner moved to Gruner + Jahr – initially working under board member Axel Ganz in Paris, then as an assistant to CEO Gerd Schulte-Hillen.
In April 1994, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of the Berlin weekly newspaper Wochenpost, and in 1996, he assumed the role of editor-in-chief of the Hamburg tabloid Hamburger Morgenpost.
In March 1998, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of Axel Springer SE's national daily newspaper Die Welt. He was a member of the management board and head of the newspaper division of Axel Springer SE in 2000, and rose to CEO in 2002.
As CEO, Döpfner initiated a two-stage digital transformation strategy, beginning in 2006, focusing on organic growth and digital acquisitions to transition the company towards digitization. By 2013, under his leadership, the company had total revenues of $3.9 billion, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $625 million.
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