The Speakers of the Best Brands College 2025
Discover the speakers who will shared their knowledge and experience in this year's talks.
Fabian Grischkat is a speaker, moderator, activist and ‘newsfluencer’ from Berlin. On social media, the 23-year-old provides daily updates on relevant topics from the worlds of social media, sustainability/climate protection, and LGBTQ+ rights in his own unique way: consistently charming, sometimes cheeky and always highly informative. VOGUE named him as one of eight people “who are currently changing our society”. For his commitment to green marketing, he was honoured with the GenZeo Top Talent Under 25 Award. Fabian recently received the ‘Ehren-Pride-Award 2024’ from Hamburg Pride e.V. for his ‘Reclaim Stolzmonat (Pride Month)’ campaign in which he took a stand against right-wing extremism by securing the trademark rights for ‘Pride Month’ and winning back the term for the LGBTQ+ community. The proceeds from his specially set up online shop selling queer ‘Pride Month’ T-shirts and stickers were donated to the Magnus Hirschfeld Foundation, which promotes queer education and research projects. Fabian sees himself as a bridge-builder between traditional journalism and Gen Z. With his keynotes and fresh perspective, he cultivates a dialogue, provides food for thought and gives his audiences a wake-up call.
Brand lover and Gen Z expert. Petra Süptitz knows how to turn complex data into compelling stories and has gained extensive experience in strategic FMCG marketing, brand management and communication development. At GfK/NIQ, she has been advising companies on consumer trends, cultural shifts and the behaviour of different target groups since 2017. As Syndicated Solutions Leader Consumer & Marketing Insights, her focus is on consulting leading companies from sectors including FMCG, retail, technology, media and automobile.
Number whisperer, brand strategist and digital native at GfK/NIQ in the field of Strategic Analytics & Insights. Raphael Back studied marketing and data sciences and has been a consultant at GfK/NIQ since 2021. During this time, he has accompanied numerous brand and consumer studies for clients from different industries. He is always on the lookout for the next big discovery – whether on TikTok or in the deepest, darkest depths of our data universe. Zusammen bringen die beiden eine unschlagbare Mischung aus Zahlenpower und Markenwissen auf die Bühne – und teilen Insights, die Marken zum Erfolg führen.
Together they will bring an unbeatable mix of number expertise and brand knowledge to the stage – and share insights that can help lead brands to success.
Catherine Gouw has been with Lidl International since January 2020. Until the end of 2023, she was responsible for global employer positioning and HR marketing as Global Head of Employer Branding. At the beginning of 2024 – after a total of 17 years in HR with a focus on employer branding and recruiting across various industries and levels – she moved within Lidl to a project management role. Since June 2024, Catherine has been working as an Executive Consultant in Lidl’s newly established international brand division – always driven by the goal that everyone in the organisation understands their own impact on the brand and embraces the ‘One Brand Mindset’.
Christian Rummel joined Deutsche Bank AG in 2011. He is Head of Brand Communications and responsible globally for the strategy, activation and protection of the brand. For more than 15 years prior to that, he worked at international advertising agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and Young & Rubicam. As a brand expert, he sits on the juries of the German Brand Award and the Integrated Communications Award and has won numerous awards in international creative competitions.
Alex Turtschan is the Director of Innovation at the Mediaplus Group. In this role, he develops innovative products and solutions for his clients’ communication strategies. With a passion for digital media, he focuses on pop culture, communication and storytelling, especially with regard to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. His career started in digital market and advertising effectiveness research. Following his studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, he worked at SevenOne Media and Plan.Net. From 2018 to 2022, he managed an in-house consulting unit as Digital Accelerator Director at Mediaplus.
Sven Labenz is Managing Director at Serviceplan Culture – the Serviceplan Group’s cultural marketing agency – where he drives strategic consulting and corporate development. He joined Serviceplan in 2024 after serving as Chief Operating Officer at the communications agency Faktor 3. As a communications consultant, he has managed campaigns and PR for big names like Porsche, OBI, Hyundai, Microsoft and Samsung. Before moving to the agency side, he was part of the corporate communications team at Schufa Holding and worked as an emergency medical technician (EMT). In 2013, he co-founded indie mag Rollt., the world’s first and only magazine dedicated to Paralympic sports and wheelchair basketball.
Lill Brüggemann is a passionate brand strategist and an expert in creating extraordinary brand experiences. As Senior Manager of Business Development & Brand Experience at Rügenwalder Mühle, the German manufacturer of meat products and plant-based meat substitutes, she develops innovative live experiences, smart collaborations and high-impact PR stunts — always with the goal of making brands emotionally engaging and unforgettable. After studying International Management & Business, Lill launched her career at Melitta Europa, where she built the Live Experience division from the ground up. She was the driving force behind the Melitta Festival Tour at major events like Rock am Ring, Wacken and OMR, while also leading brand communications and classic campaigns. Her strategic mindset and focus on consumer centricity played a key role in transforming the company’s brand management approach. Since 2023, she has been bringing her vision to Rügenwalder Mühle, where she operates at the intersection of business development and brand experience, unlocking new business opportunities and ensuring that brands don’t just get noticed, but also leave a lasting impression.
As a creative audio expert, Mona Chaoui has been a driving force behind the innovative audio solutions of RMS. Der Audiovermarkter since 2015. The Project Manager for Creative Audio Solutions skillfully translates brand messages into powerful ideas and is an expert in the concept development and realisation of audio campaigns that have what it takes to wow listeners on VHF, digital audio, podcasts and smart speakers. From the initial creative idea to the planning down to the coordination and roll-out, she oversees the smooth-running of the projects as an important liaison between audio partners, agencies and clients. Mona knows exactly how to combine distribution and creativity to fully harness the many possibilities of audio. Following positions at companies including Audio House (formerly MACH 3), where she worked as Sales Manager and Deputy Head of Sales, she discovered her passion for the creative and strategic development of audio campaigns.
Johannes Beitien is a driving force in the field of audio and multichannel marketing. In his role as Head of Creative Media Solutions & Digital Sales at Audiotainment Südwest Media GmbH, he is responsible for the development of creative campaign solutions and the marketing of one of the highest reaching audio portfolios in the southwest of Germany. With the well-known radio stations bigFM, RPR1., Radio Regenbogen and ROCK FM, his team reaches millions of listeners in the German regions of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Bremen and Hamburg, as well as Berlin and Brandenburg. Johannes combines strategic media planning know-how with a keen instinct for creative solutions that are relevant to the target groups and programme content. He has a particular talent for combining on-air channels with digital platforms like online, social media, mobile media, influencer marketing and events, as well as for producing multichannel campaigns. As a speaker, Johannes impresses with his in-depth understanding of the sector and his ability to present innovative approaches to strengthening reach and brands in a comprehensible and inspiring way.
Frauke Klos has worked at dm-drogerie markt Germany for over eight years. For the last three years, she has been responsible for the employee recruitment and communication division. Together with her colleagues, she shares the vision of making the drugstore brand tangible from the inside out. After graduating with a Master’s degree, Frauke joined the corporate communications team at dm, where she has been able to gain experience in social media marketing, strategic communication planning and corporate design.
Dr Hanna Proner is Media Manager at Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co KG. She is also Managing Director of academics GmbH, the careers portal by the ZEIT publishing house. After studying politics, journalism and German, she graduated with a PhD from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz in 2010 and went on to become a junior professor. She joined the Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius publishing house in Hamburg in 2012 and has since also completed an apprenticeship as a certified Employer Branding Manager (German Employer Branding Academy, Technical University of Munich, Vienna University of Economics and Business). Since 2019, she has been responsible for the divisions of Science, Public, Education & ZEIT Talent as the Zeitverlag’s Director. She lives in Hamburg, has two children and also lectures at various universities
Alexander Krawczyk is Managing Director of Studio71, the global digital media and entertainment company of ProSiebenSat.1, a role in which he is responsible for the entire influencer marketing business. Studio71 operates in the USA, Canada and Germany and specialises in the creation and marketing of digital content. Under Krawczyk’s management, Studio71 also has a specialised full-service division for influencer marketing – Buzzbird – which concentrates on the development of effective brand partnerships and tailored campaigns with influencers of all scales. As the Senior Vice President of Seven.One Audio, Krawczyk also manages the audio business of ProSiebenSat.1, which he has been instrumental in setting up since 2018. Seven.One Audio is Germany’s leading podcast marketer and also active in many other areas of the growing podcast landscape. Prior to that, Krawczyk was Managing Director of consulting firm ideenparc for five years. He holds an MBA from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and the University of South Carolina.
Nora Cisik, who is a member of Generation Z herself, works at German newspaper BILD where she is Marketing Manager in B2B brand management and in charge of brand positioning and innovative digital projects. With her experience on both the company and agency side and her keen intuition for addressing the right target groups, she will show how brands can communicate successfully with Generation Z – authentically, creatively and in tune with the times. Before joining BILD, she worked at communications agency StoryMachine on the personal branding of CEOs at both medium-sized and DAX companies.
As the Head of Marketing D-A-CH at Snap Inc., Denise Mancinone is responsible for all the company’s marketing activities in German-speaking countries – a role that puts her at the intersection of creativity and technology. The focus of her work is to educate and inspire marketers on mobile marketing best practices, augmented reality and Generation Z, and to help them make the most out of Snapchat’s capabilities and tools. Prior to joining Snap Inc, she worked for renowned creative agencies, serving international clients such as Audi, BMW and LEGO and working on numerous award-winning campaigns.
Sehriban Cirik has been the Head of Hip-Hop at Amazon Music since 2022. She is responsible for Amazon’s local hip-hop strategy and leads the LEVEL brand, which was launched in 2017 to provide fans with premium hip-hop content. Her responsibilities include planning campaigns for albums and singles, producing live performance projects such as LEVEL Space, and managing the LEVEL team, which, in addition to editorial tasks, also organizes the social media channel. Music has always been an important part of Sehriban’s life. She grew up in a musical family where her father played the traditional saz, and she was immersed in music and HipHop dance from a young age .After her economics studies her passion led her into the industry, where she quickly work in the event and label industry over 6 years. She is committed to showcasing the diverse and dynamic landscape of hip-hop in Germany and ensuring that it reflects the vibrant voices and stories within the community.
There’s simply no getting around Nura! The Berlin rapper, actress and bestselling author with Eritrean roots has long since established herself as unmistakable brand. She wows hundreds of thousands of fans with her music, her attitude and her uncompromising, honest opinions. But behind the strong façade is more than just a talent with charisma. What’s it like being a personality brand? Walking this tightrope between role model and obligation has really defined Nura who, with her outspoken, unapologetic manner, not only inspires, but also deliberately polarises. She grew up in Germany and, as a Muslim artist, had to fight her way through the male-dominated music and rap scene – a path that wasn’t always easy. But Nura didn’t let anything stand in her way: with talent, honesty and plenty of humour, she has broken through barriers and built a career that many artists can only dream of. Whether as part of hip-hop duo SXTN, or as a solo artist with albums like ‘Habibi’, Nura always remains true to herself – defiant, powerful and unmistakable. Her lyrics and her commitment to the fight against racism and for women’s rights have truly made her the voice of her generation. Nura has proven that it’s possible to carve a niche for yourself in the music scene without giving up your roots and beliefs – and inspired countless people who identify and resonate with her music and messages in the process.
