What stayed with me most were the many talks and workshops. They took me to ministries, companies, broadcasters, and small and medium-sized businesses. Often exactly in weeks when technological development had once again noticeably accelerated. Sharing this immediacy live with participants, putting it into context, and sparking genuine curiosity and fascination for what is coming next was a real gift for me.
I was also very happy about the interviews in 2025.
1Live, the HR, ZDF heute and other media outlets gave me the opportunity to bring developments around AI and innovation to a broader public. Reach is not an end in itself, but providing context has rarely been as important as it is today.
A true highlight was my work as a juror for the
Grimme Award and the discussions within the nomination committee of the Grimme Online Award. This intensive engagement with quality, attitude, and digital storytelling was inspiring and broadened my perspective once again.
With all the travel to talks and events, one thing was particularly important to me. Combining time on site with time for family and experiencing things not only professionally but also privately. This balance meant a lot to me in 2025.
“The view from above” was also not to be missed. Paragliding as a radical change of perspective once again showed me how valuable distance can be, especially when you work professionally with exponential developments.
With my students at the CBS International Business School we went on excursions, among other places, to Google in Hamburg and Microsoft in Cologne. Seeing firsthand how companies operate that are at the technological forefront, and how openly they deal with speed and uncertainty, was extremely valuable for all of us.
The Berlinale 2025 was also something very special for me, because storytelling is truly experienced at its heart there. That grounded me deeply.
And finally, this last image. A snapshot of my CBS course from the past semester. Three courses a day, a lot of time together, intense discussions. We grew very close as a group, and I already know that these students will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you, 2025. You were intense, demanding, and incredibly rich in encounters.
