Greatness attracts attention. Apparently.

Berlin/Oberhausen, July 11th, 2008
In the context of its expansion strategy the New Media Agency Bassier, Bergmann & Kindler (BB&K) extends its management board. Since July, Achim Kretschmer (39) is CEO at the office in Berlin. He will be in charge of the office along with Christoph Hubertus (33), who established and developed the location in Berlin as CEO since September 2007. At the headquarters in Oberhausen Christian Friedrich (32) has been appointed as CEO.

Development of the Berlin location
Achim Kretschmer along with Christoph Hubertus is designated to push forward the new business in Berlin. "The office in Berlin has performed an excellent start. Now it’s time to tap the full potential and further strengthen the location", the managing partners Michael Bassier and Thomas Kindler state. According to the two managing partners Kretschmer is an absolute dream candidate for this task: "With Achim Kretschmer we have an experienced marketing strategist, who will set his course both professionally and personally at BB&K." Before he joined BB&K, Achim Kretschmer worked for the full-service agencies SEA and BBDO as member of the managing board and respectively as Group Account Director in charge of clients like Allianz, BMW, the Federal Employment Office and Wrigley’s. Coming to BB&K, Kretschmer joins a New Media Agency for the first time. "The New Media plays an increasingly important and central role in the collective concert of communication. It is constantly on a growth curve, whereas for example the Classic Media stagnates", says Kretschmer. Regarding BB&K, he values the consistent sales and distribution approach of online campaigns and brand performances: "Various agencies cultivate their insular thinking too strongly. They believe that integration only means to cross-link different communication channels. This is where the BB&K approach leads the decisive step further by conceptually linking the brand leadership with sales and distribution. I believe this combination to be trendsetting, and I am looking forward to the collaboration with Christoph, whom I already know for a long time."

Since the founding of the Berlin location in September 2007, the team Berlin is constantly growing. Only a few weeks after its opening, Hubertus has won the first big client with Fujitsu Siemens Computers, and nearly doubled the team size from initially 8 to 16 employees at present. Aside from Fujitsu Siemens, the team Berlin is responsible for the longtime client eBay as well as for further projects with existing clients such as Meissen and Unrath & Strano. Berlin’s location is also important in view of the recruitment of qualified staff: "Berlin develops more and more into a centre for media that attracts a lot of creative people. With the dual leadership of Kretschmer and Hubertus, we have the ideal leading team to become the driving force in the scene", according to the credo of the managing partners.

Managing Partners appoint CEO at the Headquarters for the first time
At the headquarters in Oberhausen the partners reinforce the management board as well. Last year, new staff units with team-spanning functions were already implemented. With the appointment of Christian Friedrich as CEO the two partners take one further step: For the first time in the company history, the founders Bassier and Kindler hand over the leadership of the headquarters. "The strong growth of the agency demands our complete attention. We are glad to be able to assign the location-specific leadership into competent hands, in order to gain more time regarding the strategic interests of the company as a whole", they reason their decision. Preferably, this position is filled with an internal staff member, who knows the structures and the work flows well, and who is approved and accepted by the team. Equally important to the partners was, to build up the next generation, instead of burning it: "We have prepared Christian Friedrich for this task for a long time. As COO he has proven that he is more than capable to fulfil that task." The studied Media System Designer started out as a Project Manger for the Porsche Account at BB&K and expanded the business segment "Intranet and E-Training" in the position of an Account Director for the client Porsche. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) he was significantly responsible for the quality and process management at BB&K. Christian Friedrich: "Such an opportunity really is unique. I deeply appreciate the trust on behalf of Michael Bassier and Thomas Kindler."

Solid growth
For the time being, the most important strategic HR decisions on the management level, which have been set off last year, are completed for 2008. The background for this management expansion is the constant growth of the agency. In the tenth year of its existence, the agency has exceeded the ten million revenue border and won well-known clients like Volkswagen, Quelle, Sal. Oppenheim, PV Automotive and Patricia Field. In accordance with this development, the agency is experiencing constant growth with respect to its staff. Solid and enduring growth is considered to be the supreme business principle of the managing partners: hence, in view of the successful business year 2007 they increased the agency’s registered capital from 100.000 to 250.000 Euro. "We are well prepared for the next 10 years and certainly have some surprises coming up", they announce in self confidence.

Information on Bassier, Bergmann & Kindler
Bassier, Bergmann & Kindler (www.bb-k.com) is one of the largest new media agencies in Germany and specializes in E-Branding and E-Learning. BB&K is lead agency for clients like Porsche, Sal. Oppenheim, Haniel or Steigenberger. As the second largest E-Learning agency in Germany BB&K develops and produces trainings for clients like E.ON, Porsche, Volkswagen, O2 Germany or Hugo Boss. By developing the eBay Online-Training, BB&K created the most successful E-Learning application in Europe. Further references are amongst others Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Continental, Moët Hennessy, Quelle, McKinsey or the Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen. With businesses in Berlin, Ludwigsburg and Oberhausen did the new media agency and its 120 employees realize a turnover of 12 million Euros in 2007.

Website and press photos: www.bb-k.com

Further information and contact:
Heike Pawelzick
Chief Communication Officer (COO)
presse@bb-k.com
T +49 (0) 208 85 05 89-25
F +49 (0) 208 85 05 89-9