30.09.2019

Communication Professional and Executive Coach: Macromedia appoints Barbara Stelzner and Heidi Stopper to Honorary Professorships

Macromedia University has expanded its number of honorary professorships and filled them with two distinguished women. Dr. Barbara Stelzner, Director Marketing and Corporate Communication at the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, was appointed honorary professor of Media and Communication Management. For the honorary professorship HR Management in Creative Industries, the private university was able to win Heidi Stopper, executive coach and former personnel director of ProSiebenSat.1. Media SE.

Prof. Dr. Barbara Stelzner and Prof. Heidi Stopper extend the faculty of Macromedia University as honorary professors. Both women already know the university well.

Barbara Stelzner: Media maker, company spokeswoman, university manager

Stelzner was Professor of Media and Communication Management at Macromedia University from 2011 to 2017. As Vice Dean, she has been driving the development of Macromedia’s media programs since 2015, before returning to operations as head of communications for DJI. Today, Barbara Stelzner is responsible for all marketing and corporate communication activities in Europe for the Chinese world market leader in the field of civilian drones. Prof. Dr. Stelzner laid the foundation for her career by working as a journalist in English-speaking countries. Between 1989 and 2010 she worked for the BBC World Service, European Business News and Sky News Ireland before joining CNBC Europe as Vice President and Director News and Programming.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Castulus Kolo, Vice President Academic Policy and Research, comments on the appointment of Prof. Dr. Barbara Stelzner as Honorary Professor within the Macromedia Faculty of Media: "I am very pleased that we have once again been able to win Barbara Stelzner for Macromedia University. Prof. Stelzner is one of the most versatile professionals I know. She is a media professional through and through and knows the journalistic business from the bottom up. As a company spokeswoman and communications manager, she is experienced in crises and has strong decision-making skills. And as a media scientist, she reflects on the far-reaching changes in our mediatized, mobile society with regard to opinion-forming and personal rights. She will enrich our teaching."

Prof. Dr. Barbara Stelzner: "In recent years, Macromedia University has developed an increasingly international profile, and I am delighted to be able to share experiences from other, very different cultures with the students. Global thinking has become an integral part of the media landscape. It is very important to me to integrate this approach into our teaching in a practice-oriented way so that our students have better chances for the future".

Heidi Stopper: HR board member, labour lawyer, executive coach and role model

Heidi Stopper has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Macromedia University since 2013. With more than 20 years of expertise in talent management for high-tech and media companies, she is an important driving force behind the university’s strategic positioning. The labour lawyer and expert for HR management and organisational development began her career at aircraft manufacturer Dornier in Friedrichshafen. She then held positions as Head of Human Resources at EADS SPACE and Vice President Human Resources at EADS Astrium. Stopper moved to the media industry in 2010. As Executive Vice President Human Resources, she was responsible for all HR issues at ProSiebenSat. 1 Media AG and the transformation into a digital multimedia company before being appointed to the media group’s Management Board in 2012. Heidi Stopper left the Management Board and the company at the end of 2014. Since then she has been one of the most sought-after top management coaches and management consultants. She has been recognized as one of the TOP25 HR Influencers by Personalmagazin and sits on several advisory boards.

University President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Faust welcomes the new honorary professor for HR Management in Creative Industries to the Macromedia Faculty of the Arts: "Prof. Heidi Stopper is a great asset to our university. With her profile as HR top executive of the high-tech industry and as MDax board member in the media industry, she is the perfect figurehead for our new field of study HR Management. I also appreciate her diverse activities as a driver for Digital Leadership, New Leadership and Female Leadership initiatives. Not only has she been named a Role Model by Handelsblatt, but she is a true Role Model for our female students – and the course will benefit greatly."

Prof. Heidi Stopper: "There is hardly anything more exciting and relevant today than HR Management and Modern Leadership. Traditional organisational structures, hierarchies and power structures are becoming less important and new paths have to be taken. Like individualisation, diversity and value orientation, participation, co-working, agility and digital leadership are synonyms for a modern working and management culture and are decisive for the success of a company."

(IMH)