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We want more diversity in the company

Dr. Mathias Döpfner

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Axel Springer AG

This Sustainability Report for 2008-2009 is considerably broader in scope than previous reports. In this way we are underlining our special responsibility as a media company – from journalistic independence and the separation of advertising and editorial texts to the promotion of media skills among young readers up to data protection as well as the safeguarding of social and environmental standards along the wood, pulp, paper, printing and recycling chain. And the more we transfer our business to the Internet and mobile readers, the more important the transparency of the standards along the digital value chain becomes in future. 

Because those who are committed to critical journalism must themselves stand up to closer scrutiny. Here we are encouraged by awards such as the "German Sustainability Award" and our top position in the sustainability rating of international media companies by oekom research.

But what are the tasks we have set out to accomplish in the coming years?

There are two things I am particularly reluctant to do. Firstly, to take steps that others have taken much earlier, and secondly, to do things that are "politically correct". The topic of equality of opportunity meets both criteria. Others have taken this issue much more seriously long before us, and it is absolutely "politically correct". If we at Axel Springer now commit ourselves to this topic, then you can assume that we are very serious about it and accord this task high priority.

Does the composition of our management, the editorial board and departmental managements reflect the composition of our customers and readers? Are we really able to inspire the best new talent to come to Axel Springer, regardless of cultural background, of origin, gender or social background? I am firmly convinced that we can improve even more. We want to introduce more diversity into our company. So that we can be even more successful, so that we can achieve our strategic objectives of internationalization and of digitization even better and more quickly. And not least to establish a corporate culture that is even more modern.

Diversity has of course many aspects. It is not just an issue of gender. But as a first step, diversity means for us: more women in leadership positions.

Why more diversity is important for Axel Springer

The economic findings are quite clear. Did you know, for example, that in Europe and the USA almost 60 percent of university graduates are women? And did you know that women play a decisive role in all major consumption and consumer decisions? And that in the meantime half of all Internet users are female? So it's not some kind of compulsory exercise, but rather we want and we must achieve more here for our company. We want to double the proportion of female executives in the coming five to eight years.

It is a deliberately ambitious goal. We want to achieve equality of opportunity without introducing a fixed quota. And this may prove to be the more difficult path, but in our opinion a path that is definitely the better one for Axel Springer.

I hope that you enjoy reading our enhanced Sustainability Report.

Dr. Mathias Döpfner
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer