New York Students visit Bertelsmann in Berlin

What is UFA’s strategy, how is a German soap opera produced, and how does the German club differ from its sister clubs in the USA? These were some of the many topics that awaited 30 students from New York University’s Stern School of Business on Tuesday during their visit to Bertelsmann in Berlin. The students had traveled from the East Coast metropolis to Berlin with their professor, Bill Guth, to learn more about UFA and the club HQ. 

Katharina Reeke and Meric Pirli of the Corporate Management Development office hosted the visitors, filling them in on the wider aspects of the Bertelsmann group and its corporate culture. Petra Szekessy from UFA’s personnel department also joined them. After a short introduction, the tour began with a visit to UFA in Potsdam, where Kristian Müller, UFA Film & TV Produktion press spokeswoman, helped tell the students about the company‘s business and strategy. To show the practical side of the business there was a visit to the studio of the TV soap "Julia – Paths to Happiness," followed by a tour of the Babelsberg production compound. "To see how something gets made and to take a look behind the scenes – that was really impressive", said Kendal Bustamante, speaking for his fellow students.

In the afternoon there was a change of perspective, from moving image to the classic medium of the printed page, when the students called in on Berlin club HQ. Here they met Andreas Stammnitz from Club Bertelsmann’s Current Member Marketing who gave a presentation with the provocative title "What Would You Do?" His question sparked a lively discussion with the New York visitors, who drew comparisons with U.S. clubs and made specific suggestions for improvements. This was all possible because the students had already had intensive dealings with Bertelsmann and its business sectors before making their trip. "The comparison between the German and American market was particularly interesting for our students," said Professor Guth after the event. Finally, the students got an on-site impression by visiting a club shop near Alexanderplatz, where Andreas Stammnitz and Heinz Gretzinger, Regional Managers North-East, gave a question and answer session.