Manfred Fischer (Manager)
Manfred Fischer (born June 19, 1933 in Finnentrop , † April 13, 2002 in Munich ) was a German publishing and industry manager. He was CEO at Gruner + Jahr (1974–1981), Bertelsmann (1981–1983) and Dornier (1984–1985).
Life
Fischer attended the Attendorn grammar school . After graduating from high school in 1954, he studied business administration in Cologne, where he graduated in 1958 with a degree in business administration . In 1965 he received his doctorate in Münster Dr. rer. pole.
In 1958 he joined the Bertelsmann publishing house in Gütersloh, and in 1964 he became a member of the management and from 1971 a member of the Bertelsmann Executive Board. On January 1, 1974, Fischer took over the chairmanship of the Hamburg publishing house Gruner + Jahr, the majority of which Bertelsmann had acquired from the publisher's founder Gerd Bucerius the year before .
During Fischer's tenure at Gruner + Jahr, several successful consumer magazines such as GEO , PM , Yps , Impulse and art were introduced , Gruner Druck in Itzehoe was expanded into one of the largest and most modern gravure printing plants in Europe and the Henri Nannen School was founded in 1979. In addition, the publishing house expanded abroad, including to Spain, France and the USA. Overall, Gruner + Jahr increased its global sales between 1974 and 1981 from 671 million to around 1.6 billion DM. In January 1981, Manfred Fischer, as CEO of Gruner + Jahr, was responsible for the purchase of the fake Hitler diaries from the Stern editor-in-chief .
After Fischer returned to the Bertelsmann Executive Board in 1979, he took over as CEO from Reinhard Mohn on July 1, 1981 , who moved to the Supervisory Board. Due to differences over the future course of the company - Fischer relied on consolidation, Mohn on further expansion - Fischer's early departure on March 31, 1983 was announced at the end of 1982; Mark Wössner became his successor at the top of Bertelsmann .
After leaving Bertelsmann, Fischer took over the chairmanship of the Dornier-Werke in Friedrichshafen in September 1984 , but was dismissed spectacularly without notice in February 1985. The background was disputes between the Dornier heirs, which were also carried out in court and in public and at times endangered the continued existence of the company. After Fischer's resignation was declared null and void by the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court and Fischer resumed his work, he was finally replaced at the end of 1985 by the previous Airbus Vice-President Johann Schäffler .
At the beginning of 1987, Fischer returned to the media industry as a partner in two film production companies. He died in 2002 after a long illness.
Web links
- Fischer, Manfred in the Munzinger archive , accessed on August 12, 2014 ( beginning of article freely available)
- Obituary by Gruner + Jahr Verlag from 2002 , accessed on August 12, 2014.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Trial of the "Hitler Diaries" - No scruples in the executive suite ; The time No. 03/1985 of January 11, 1985
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fischer, Manfred |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German publishing and industry manager |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 19, 1933 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Finnentrop |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 13, 2002 |
| Place of death | Munich |