The authors

Prof. Dr. Bernd W. Wirtz studied business administration at Cologne, London and Dortmund. His doctoral thesis was on “Strategic Management in the Media Market” and his promotion as professor at the University of Zurich was for “Success factors in Business Relationship Management”. Prof. Dr. Bernd W. Wirtz has served as a private lecturer at the University of Zurich since 1999. From 1999 to 2004 Bernd Wirtz held the chair of business administration at the University of Witten/Herdecke. Since 2004 he has served as chair of information and communication management at Speyer University. He has also been active as a management consultant for Munich-based Roland Berger & Partners, and as a manager for Andersen Consulting (Accenture), Strategic Competency Group, Frankfurt a. M.

Dr. Hubert Burda, born in 1940, studied art history, archeology and sociology in Munich. He is publisher and CEO of Hubert Burda Media and President of the Association of German Newspaper Publishers (VDZ) as well as a founding member of the European Publishers Council.

Rainer Beaujean, Rainer Beaujean, born in 1968, studied business administration and signed on at the accounting department of Deutsche Telekom AG in 1995. He subsequently transferred to CFO staff in the Finance and Controlling Division, before becoming Head of Controlling for the company’s International Division, including all associated companies abroad. From February 1999, Rainer Beaujean was Head of Staff for the Finance and Controlling Division. In October 2000 he was appointed to the T-Online Board of Management. Since October 1, 2004 Rainer Beaujean has assumed the position of Chairman of the Board at T-Online.