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DEMNER, MERLICEK & BERGMANN: Management changes.
Andrea Schmitz Dohnal, a longtime member of the Board, has decided to take on new challenges on the clients’ side and will leave the agency mid-May. Managing partners Mariusz Jan Demner and Dr. Harry Bergmann took the opportunity to restructure: Alongside existing members Evelyn Schmidt Lukele (Contracts/Administration), Mag. Francesco Bestagno (Creative) and Helmut Schliefsteiner (Brand Consulting), long-term employees Christin Herrnberger and Katharina Schmid now amend the management board. Christin Herrnberger takes over the management of Client Counseling, Katharina Schmid will be responsible for Planning and New Business.
Christin Herrnberger, 38, grew up in Pretoria/ South Africa and Munich. Armed with an impressive ken and language knowledge, she studied at the Bavarian Academy for Advertising and Marketing and gained extensive working experience by working in event marketing on agency side for companies such as BMW, Compaq and Philip Morris. The communications specialist brought along solid industry knowledge when joining DEMNER, MERLICEK & BERGMANN in 2001. Clients of this Account Director include et al. BMW, bob (Austria and Bulgaria), M-Tel (Bulgaria), Mini, AGRANA. In 2009 Herrnberger became a D,M&B Board Member after taking over the Account Executive agenda “Quality Assurance” in 2007.
Katharina Schmid, MBA, BA, 40, gained her first advertising experience in Spain where she worked et al. for Tiempo/BBDO Madrid. She started her career at DEMNER, MERLICEK & BERGMANN in 1996. During her paternal leave Katharina Schmid completed her MBA. 2010 she switched to the Planning department. The D,M&B Board Member is also a Board Member of “Strategy Austria”. Her responsibilities as a D,M&B member include Planning and New Business.
Both ladies, who have also completed the Cannes Creative Leaders Program of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, together with Italian-born Mag. Francesco Bestagno, who since joining in 1990 – whilst being a Lürzer student – has contributed to key developments of the agency over 20 years, will work together to optimally create and develop the brand magnetism of DEMNER, MERLICEK & BERGMANN for clients now and in the future. The departments Services and Finances continue to be the responsibility of the Board members Thomas Hubrich and respectively Maria Mraz.
Mariusz Jan Demner: ”In 2008 Andrea Schmitz Dohnal took over as the Manager of Client Counseling after her maternity leave. In these 5 years she understood how to motivate a 30-person Account Executive team to peak performances. We owe her a lot and wish her nothing but the very best for her new challenges. We are extremely proud to have found her successor(s) from within the agency – Christin Herrnberger and Katharina Schmid both have made enormous contributions to the success of the agency and they will work together with Francesco Bestagno, one of the highest adorned creative of the country to develop new standards to secure the position of the agency for the future.”