Klaus L. Wübbenhorst

Klaus L. Wübbenhorst (born February 22, 1956 in Linnich) was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and spokesman for Germany's leading marketing research firm GfK, which is based in Nuremberg, Germany until July 2012.

Education and early career

Dr.Wübbenhorst graduated from Gesamthochshule University in Essen during 1981 with a degree in Business Administration and completed his Doctorate from Darmstadt University of Technology in 1984. From 1984 to 1991 he served as a management employee for the transnational media company Bertelsmann, based in Gütersloh. After leaving Bertelsmann, he was enlisted as a member of the management board at KBA-Planeta AG, located in Radebeul near Dresden, a position he held until 1992.

After Joining GfK SE

His career at GfK AG began during 1992, where he was first employed as a member of the company's management board. In this capacity he was responsible for accounting, financial controlling, personnel, purchasing, production and information technology. In 1999 he was named GfK's Chief Executive Officer, an appointment which is scheduled to last until 2007. As CEO, Dr. Wübbenhorst is responsible for the company's strategy, internal audit, product development, public affairs (communications), and IT services. Under his guidance and leadership, GfK has enjoyed unparalleled growth, particularly as a result of two primary milestones: (1) the company's initial public offering in 1999 and (2) the acquisition of the NOP World companies in April 2005. GfK has risen to the ranks of the top sales producers in the marketing research sector, achieving a global market share of roughly 5 percent. According to GfK's Annual Report for 2005, Dr. Wübbenhorst's total remuneration for the year was approximately €1,768,000 euros, in addition to 40,000 company stock options. Additional seats held by Dr. Wübbenhorst on Supervisory Boards and comparable supervisory bodies include: BU Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Nuremberg (Deputrynd [Chairman); ERGO Versicherungsgruppe AG, Düsseldorf; Neckermann Versand AG, Frankfurt/ Main;]

Other Achievements

Dr. Wübbenhorst's achievements are not limited to business success. In 2005 he was appointed President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Middle Franconia in Nuremberg and awarded the title of Honorary Professor by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.^[1] In March 2016 GfK started civil proceedings against its former CEO Dr.Klaus Wübbenhorst and former CFO Christian Weller von Ahlefeld.

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