The work of the Bonn Institute continues – and from 2025-2027, it will be driven forward by three leading media professionals who have joined our community as the new members of the board of trustees.
As of April 1, our board members are Hannah Suppa (editor-in-chief of the Leipziger Volkszeitung), Dr. Reiner Esser (managing director of ZEIT) and Lucy Kueng (expert in strategy, innovation and leadership).
"I've thrilled that these exceptional media figures are joining the Bonn Institute's board of trustees," said Ellen Heinrichs, founder and CEO of the Bonn Institute. "At the same time, I also want to thank the founding trustee members, who supported and accompanied us in our earliest days: usanne Amann, Wolfgang Blau, Christina Elmer, Kübra Gümüşay, Astrid Maier, Ursula Ott, Jay Rosen, David Schraven and Melanie Stein – they'll remain part of the Bonn Institute even though their term has ended."
The board of trustees is an honorary body that advises the management of the Bonn Institute on matters of content and strategic orientation as well as organizational development. Its new members are prominent leaders and pioneers of the media industry.
Hannah Suppa has been editor-in-chief at the Leipziger Volkszeitung (LVZ) since 2020. She also coordinates all the editorial offices of the MADSACK Media Group's regional titles, to which the LVZ also belongs. She has been named “Editor-in-Chief of the Year Regional” several times by Medium Magazin and consistently pursued new and constructive approaches with her editorial team for years. She says: "We need different content if we want to be relevant to people and therefore also have monetization potential."
Dr. Rainer Esser has been managing director of DIE ZEIT since 1999, which has experienced unprecedented economic success during his time in the position. Since May 2011, he has also been managing director of DvH Medien GmbH. He explained his philosophy to Ellen in Hamburg at the beginning of the year: "Transformation never stops and it's part of corporate culture." He has invested in the editorial department of DIE ZEIT, as well as in ten TikTokers and a ZEIT Café, highlighting his belief that it is important to meet people where they spend time.
Lucy Kueng is an expert on strategy, innovation and leadership and focuses on successful responses to the challenges of digitalization. She is a Senior Visiting Research Associate at the Reuters Institute, Oxford University, and a Non-Executive Board Member of the NZZ Media Group. Lucy advises global media companies on digital transformation strategy and implementation.Of the current moment and challenges in journalism, Kueng says, "News organizations must move beyond long-held beliefs about what people want, how they consume information, and where trust is built.
You can find more information about the current and founding members of the board of trustees here.