Strategic
Communications

Dirk T. Schmitt is advising companies on their communication strategy as well as on crises and mergers & acquisitions (M&A). Dirk has advised on more than 60 domestic and international transactions and was most recently chief representative of a Dax 30 company. As managing director of an international strategic communications consultancy, Dirk advised large corporations on communication in politics and media, as well as with investors and other stakeholders. Dirk studied political science in Mannheim and Munich, and later business administration at the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and Toronto. He has received numerous awards, including the “Press Office of the Year” accolade from the Federal Association of German Press Officers, and has held honorary positions in associations, foundations and academic societies.

Dr. Alexander Falkenberg has conducted private equity, M&A and financing transactions with a volume of more than USD 30 billion. Alexander was Chief Investment Officer at a private equity firm with a portfolio value of more than USD 3 billion. Previously, he worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse First Boston. Alexander holds a PhD from the University of St.Gallen (HSG), an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a ‘Diplom-Kaufmann’ (German business administration degree) from the European Business School, Oestrich-Winkel.

Philipp T. Meyer has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications. Before founding Rosenberg Strategic Communications, Philipp spent eight years building one of the first and most successful branding studios in the publishing and media industry with ‘F.A.Z. Manufaktur’ at Germany’s ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’ newspaper. He has developed over 90 concepts in communication for renowned clients such as BlackRock, UBS, HSBC, Sanofi, LANXESS, UNO and the German state of Saxony. Before that, Philipp worked in brand management for an internationally operating consumer goods company in Switzerland, among other activities. At Rosenberg Strategic Communications, he is responsible for strategic marketing communications consulting, advising companies on their positioning in special situations. Philipp studied business administration with a focus on marketing at the universities of Münster, the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and in the USA.

As head of communications in the aviation industry and as press spokesperson for an industrial holding company in the Dax, he advised executive and supervisory boards on complex communications issues: from media relations and crises to change and executive communications, and public affairs. In these roles, as well as an economist and speechwriter for an international strategy consultancy, his journalistic background was of great benefit to him. Thomas spent more than twelve years as a political and business editor at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Handelsblatt publishing group (Wirtschaftswoche).

Gertrud M. Hack has been advising banks, financial service providers, organisations and companies from industry on strategic corporate communications, financial and capital market communications and special situations since 1996. As Head of Corporate Communications, Vice President and Press Officer at JPMorgan in Frankfurt and London, she gained expertise in all facets of capital market and crisis communications. She has more than 25 years of international experience in CEO positioning, coordinating theme setting, generating content and communications management in change projects such as reorganisations or transformations - both on the corporate side and as a managing director on agency and consultancy areas. Gertrud studied business administration and foreign trade with a focus on international marketing and management, business administration and economics in both England and Germany. She supports start-ups in their market presence and positioning. She volunteers for various associations, ladies-in-business mentoring and social institutes.

Bernhard Weissberg lives in Switzerland. He started his career as a local journalist for the Berner Zeitung and the Bund before founding and managing the private radio station Canal 3 with other journalists in Biel. After moving to the Ringier publishing house, he was editor-in-chief of SonntagsBlick and Blick, founded and launched the free evening newspaper "heute" (now Blick am Abend) and was a member of the Group Executive Board.
Since 2009, he has been advising medium-sized and large companies in Switzerland on communication issues, writing speeches and moderating public and non-public discussions. Bernhard has two children, loves American football and is a passionate Golfer.

For seven years, Carsten was with the Federal Criminal Police Office. He helped building up the personal security group of the former MG Group, was an authorized representative and later managing director of the security divisions of Brink's Inc, Gegenbauer and Piepenbrock. He worked for Control Risks in Berlin and London, and is head of security for the ILA International Air Show in Berlin.
As business economist (VWA) he thinks and acts entrepreneurially, especially as managing partner of DRB Deutsche Risikoberatung GmbH. He has been at home in the world of Security - Associations for two decades: as vice president of the Berlin-Brandenburg Association for Security in Business and on the federal board of the "Alliance for Security in Business" (ASW), where he regularly exchanges ideas with the federal security authorities. He has made a name for himself as co-author of the ASW guide on eavesdropping defense and heads its competence center.

Matthias Dezes has more than 25 years of experience in corporate communications. A trained business journalist, he advises on the strategic positioning of both individuals and companies as well as helping clients deal with crises, issues and off-market transactions. In some client engagements he acts as an external press officer. Before starting his own business, he was a spokesperson for the internationally active Citibank as well as in two international business law firms and has advised clients from the finance, mobility and energy sectors in an international strategic communications consultant capacity. Matthias studied political science, American studies and constitutional law in Bonn and Seattle. He was a lecturer in public relations at a renowned private university for many years and is the German state of Hesse’s Regional Director of the German Public Relations Association (Deutsche Public Relations Gesellschaft [DPRG]).

Andrea Schmitt has spent more than 25 years in executive communication, specialising in project and event management activities for major financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank, Citibank and Targobank. She has operational experience in leading large teams, process management and optimisation, and has stewarded company in-house training and coaching projects. Over the last 12 years, she has focussed her energies on both large-scale gatherings in public spaces and events for employees and executives. Further to this, she also works in internal communication for a service provider in the banking sector. Andrea currently manages a social welfare facility on a voluntary basis, and previously lived in Asia for several years where she assisted social projects for an international women’s network.