Elmar Rugevics, Senior Berater GMK Markenberatung, Köln

Elmar Rugevics is Senior Consultant and Team Leader for GMK Markenberatung in Cologne. His main activities are the development of integrated brand strategies as well as their internal and external implementation. His previous clients include West German Radio (WDR), Braun, Hewlett-Packard, Bosch Thermotechnology, Renault and Welthungerhilfe. After studying psychology (focus on communication and media psychology), Elmar Rugevics worked as Strategic Planner at Publicis Hamburg and BBDO Proximity in Düsseldorf. Since 2012, he has been Project Manager for the WDR mandate at the GMK, developing long-term communication strategies for WDR brands based on brand positioning as the basis of all communication activities.

Elmar Krick has been with Universal Networks International since 2005. As Marketing & Creative Director, he is responsible for the design of the on-air and marketing performances of all UNIVERSAL NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL stations in German-speaking countries. He has won numerous awards together with his team at national and international festivals and creative competitions. Other important stations of his career include the Walt Disney Company (Germany), PLAZAMEDIA and the trade magazine KEYS, which he co-designed as deputy editor. Krick studied music at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf and is a qualified audio and video technology engineer.

As Managing Director, Sabine Eckhardt (43) is responsible for three companies at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG. At SevenOne Media, the media group's sales subsidiary, she is responsible for both classic sales and for developing new business areas. Eckhardt also manages the company SevenOne AdFactory, which handles the development and marketing of 360 degree communication concepts and specialty advertising at ProSiebenSat.1. Additionally, Eckhardt serves as Chair of the Management Board at ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing. This subsidiary handles the group's licensing business, merchandising and brand cooperation activities. A graduate in German Language & Literature from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Eckhardt is also a member of the Board of Directors at ArtMerchandising & Media AG. Following her German and philosophy studies in Munich and Pisa (minor in business management), she began her career at Mattel and continued on to EM.TV and Merchandising Media.

"I am the co-founder of two creative companies: Cape Rock & CabodaRoca. The first specializes in developing visual strategies for brands by creating and producing coherent brand identities for multiple-screens and outings. The second specializes in developing music for motion branding and identity design. We work for international brands such as ZDF, Ziggo (Liberty Global), INSIGHT (GS Satelite), HBO, NOS, Kinepolis, JIM (Medialaan), Liv & Jim (Nelonen Media) and IDFA. Our ambition is to further expand our companies globally. My background and expertise is in marketing, advertising and branding. After having graduated in Business Administration at the Nijmegen Business School, I started my career at Foot Locker Europe in the position of Brand Manager Northern Europe. Nearly five years later, I became Marketing Director at MTV Benelux, where I was part of the MTV Management Team. At MTV, I learned the ins and outs of television and became very interested in developing media brands. This experience led to the start of my entrepreneurship seven years ago. In my role of business developer, I am constantly searching for opportunities to develop our companies. That's why my focus is on meeting people and keeping on top of the trends, shifts and insights that affect our business, brands, media consumption and consumer behavior. My main interest is in the way new technologies force us to continuously develop the relationship with our audience and urge us to find, create and form new ways to reach, touch and engage them."

Born in 1965, studied Audio and Video Engineering in Düsseldorf with a degree in Engineering. Sound engineer and audio designer at Deutschlandfunk, Radio NRW, Rockamerica (NYC, USA), ProSieben and ProSiebenSat.1Produktion. Various national and international awards. Owner of recording studio for audio production. Musical compositions have aired on classical radio stations and elsewhere. Since 2009, working group leader 'Audio' at Eyes & Ears of Europe.

Sascha Weisshaupt, Head of Brand Strategy & Management Swisscom, Bern

Sascha Weisshaupt has been at Swisscom since 2002. He has learned the branding trade as consultant at a branding and design agency. He leads a team of brand managers and brand designers responsible for Swisscom's brand portfolio as well as the areas of Brand Strategy, Brand Management, Identity, Design, Digital Brand Experience, Employer Branding, Social Media Strategy and Brand Monitoring. He is also responsible for a film crew of up to ten learning mediamaticians. In 2007, he developed and implemented Swisscom's new brand. Since 2009, he heads the Branding Team. Sascha Weisshaupt holds an Executive Master of Science in Communications Management from the University of Lugano and is a lecturer for trends and innovations in branding as part of CAS Brand Management and Communication at the University of Bern, which is part of the Executive MBA in Marketing Management.

Born in 1975, at Swisscom since 1 September 2013, is responsible for all marketing communications activities in the private and business customer sector, for brand communication, public relations, social media communication, online marketing, as well as marketing and media planning. Prior to joining Swisscom, he spent six years as Vice President Brand Management at Telefonica (O2) Germany. Previously he worked at Grey Düsseldorf, Saatchi & Satchi London and Daimler AG in Stuttgart. Tim Alexander is a qualified advertising specialist and graduate in business administration, specializing in marketing communications. As a student, he founded his own advertising agency (Werbeliebe). He has served as a lecturer in Marketing & Communication Planning at the University of Dusseldorf and Macromedia University in Munich.

Yaroslava Antipina has a wide range experience in digital marketing. She has overseen the launch of various digital campaigns aimed at promoting programmes and growing the TV audience. Yaroslava joined the TV channel Ukraine in 2012 as Head of New Media Division. Since 2014, she has been managing the digital aspects of four TV channels belonging to Media Group Ukraine, one of the largest media groups in the country. She participates in major industry events and in the jury process for international awards and regularly writes about digital issues.