DFL appoints media executive Donata Hopfen as new managing director
Berlin, Aug 14, 2021 (AFP) - The German Football League (DFL) announced Saturday it had appointed media executive Donata Hopfen as its first female managing director from the start of 2022 to replace outgoing boss Christian Seifert.
"Donata Hopfen is the right personality for one of the most important positions in German football," said supervisory board chairman Peter Peters.
Hopfen, 45, currently heads up BCG Digital Ventures, a unit of the Boston Consulting Group, and has signed a three-year contract with DFL.
Before joining BCG, Hopfen worked for 14 years at media giant Axel Springer, including as managing director of the BILD Group, then moved as CEO to Verimi, a digital joint enterprise of large German companies.
Peters said Hopfen had the right experience in media and digitalisation.
"In a time of change, she has all the qualities and the assertiveness to lead the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 into an ongoing successful future for the clubs," he said in a statement.
The 52-year-old Seifert had announced last year he was stepping down but will now be leaving six months before his tenure formally runs out in agreement with the DFL, which he has led since 2005.
Hopfen said the DFL's global reputation "must be maintained against the backdrop of technological, societal and media changes relating to football - while at the same time moving forward in an innovative way".
The DFL generates an average of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) per season for broadcasting rights in German-speaking countries.
However, international revenues dropped to 180 from around 250 million euros per season during the coronavirus pandemic.