Prof. Knut Foeckler

1973 Knut Foeckler graduated from the University of Hamburg with a degree in business administration and economics (Diplom-Kaufmann). He embarked on his professional career as manager of the market research company "Gesellschaft fuer Marktforschung" in Hamburg. Thereafter he took the position of the assistant to the General Manager and worked as personnel manager of a Unilever firm. In 1975 he joined the marketing team of Philip Morris GmbH and was promoted to Managing Director Marketing in 1987. In 1992 he served the Munich based KirchGroup as Executive Vice President, and from 1993-1995 he moved on to hold the position of Head of Entertainment and Director Marketing at SAT.1 television, Germany’s first privately owned television station. 1996 Microsoft recruited Foeckler to manage their German MSN division. 1998 he joined Deutsche Telekom as Executive VP and as General Manager of their Multimedia division. In this function he co-operated closely with the venture capital division of Deutsche Telekom, T-Venture. He held various board mandates: T-Online (ISP), TeleCash (e-commerce), Multimedia Software Dresden (IT), Media Service Munich (cable business), DeTeSat (satellite business), Intershop AG (e-commerce), Brainpool TV AG (TV show production), SRO AG (movie production), Bet3000 (betting), DOHAWAII DSH International, Inc. (deep sea water).

Based on his expertise on convergent communication platforms and his extensive international marketing background Foeckler currently advises enterprises/investors with a focus on (new) media and content as well as on marketing and branding issues. In 2004 he managed the launch of Groupe AB´s terranova, the first European free TV documentary channel, and he continued being their consultant.
Keen always to share his knowledge, Foeckler has in addition to his business career taught as a professor for Design at the Cologne International School of Design as well as lecturing at the University for Television and Film (HFF) in Munich, and receiving an honorary professorship at the Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute for Arts and Media Administration, teaching Marketing and New Media. He is a member of the advisory board for Post-Graduate-Studies EMBE HSG / Executive Master of Business Engineering at the Hochschule St. Gallen, Switzerland.
He also serves as President of “Keine Macht den Drogen” (No Power To Drugs), a non-profit organization fighting against drug abuse amongst children and young adults