Christopher Höpfner New dpa Sales & Marketing Head
- hamburg – Effective April 1, 2025, Christopher Höpfner will assume the role of Head of Sales and Marketing at the prestigious German Press Agency (dpa).The 52-year-old brings a...
- Höpfner's most recent role at RTL saw him as Executive sales Director, where he spearheaded the sales activities for Gruner + Jahr's extensive portfolio of magazine products.
- Peter Kropsch,Chairman of the DPA management,expressed his enthusiasm for Höpfner's appointment:
Christopher Höpfner to Lead Sales and Marketing at German Press Agency (dpa)
Table of Contents
- Christopher Höpfner to Lead Sales and Marketing at German Press Agency (dpa)
- Christopher Höpfner Joins DPA: Q&A on the New Head of Sales and Marketing
- Who is Christopher Höpfner, the New Head of Sales and marketing at dpa?
- What experience does Christopher Höpfner bring to DPA?
- What are Peter Kropsch’s views on Christopher Höpfner’s appointment?
- Who did Christopher Höpfner replace at DPA?
- What is DPA Headline News?
- Who is Thorsten Matthies and what was his role at DPA?
- What contributions did Thorsten Matthies make to DPA?
- What is dpa-regiodata?
- what is the German Press Agency (dpa)?
- How is DPA structured?
- Where is DPA located?
- DPA Leadership Structure
Published: 2025-03-06
New Leadership for dpa’s Sales and Marketing Division
hamburg – Effective April 1, 2025, Christopher Höpfner will assume the role of Head of Sales and Marketing at the prestigious German Press Agency (dpa).The 52-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the position, transitioning from the RTL Group.
Höpfner’s most recent role at RTL saw him as Executive sales Director, where he spearheaded the sales activities for Gruner + Jahr’s extensive portfolio of magazine products. He now succeeds Thorsten Matthies, who is retiring after an notable 37-year tenure with Germany’s leading news agency.
Management’s Perspective on the Appointment
Peter Kropsch,Chairman of the DPA management,expressed his enthusiasm for Höpfner’s appointment:
We are very pleased that with Christopher Höpfner we were able to win a manager with a tried and tested expertise in the media business as the successor to Thorsten Matthies for the management of sales and marketing.
Peter Kropsch, Chairman of the DPA management
Kropsch further emphasized Höpfner’s qualifications and the value he brings to the agency:
Christopher Höpfner has many years of experience in the management of sales units on demanding markets and in the development and digitization of business and revenue models for media. This will support the agency in the dynamic change of the core market newspaper publishers, news portals, TV and radio. To develop project business.
Peter Kropsch, Chairman of the DPA management
Christopher Höpfner’s Background and Experience
Born in Frankfurt am Main, Christopher Höpfner’s academic foundation was laid at TU Darmstadt, where he studied industrial engineering. His professional journey began in 2000 at Gruner + Jahr, now a part of the RTL Group.
His career progression includes:
- Subscription advertiser for various titles until 2010.
- Director Distribution & Sales, overseeing all sales activities for print and digital products in news (e.g., Stern) and the economy.
- From 2018 to the end of 2024, responsible for sales activities of all magazine products (print and digital) at Gruner + Jahr.
notably, Christopher Höpfner is also a trained systemic coach, bringing a unique perspective to his leadership role.
Tribute to Thorsten Matthies
Peter Kropsch also acknowledged the important contributions of Thorsten Matthies during his 37 years with the DPA:
with Thorsten Matthies one of my closest employees leaves his position. Thorsten has acted with commitment,clever and skill for many years and shaped the dpa.
peter Kropsch
Kropsch highlighted Matthies’ problem-solving abilities and dedication:
In combination with his great experience, he has repeatedly found solutions that were the best for our customers who were dpa and the industry as a whole.For his high commitment and the always trusting and constructive cooperation, I expressly thank you in the name of management and editor -in -chief. We wish him all the best for the future.
Peter Kropsch
Thorsten Matthies’ Illustrious Career at DPA
Thorsten Matthies, a trained journalist, embarked on his DPA career in 1988 within the radio news editorial team. His journey included roles as an editor in the state offices of Frankfurt/Main and hamburg.
Key milestones in his career include:
- Deputy head of the Panorama department at the dpa headquarters.
- Management of the economic department starting in 2003.
- Building dpa-regiodata, the first editorial team for data mining and computer-assisted reporting at dpa.
- Head of Sales and Marketing domestic in 2008.
- Duty for the agency’s international business since 2019.
- Authorized officer since 2012.
- Managing director of the DPA subsidiary Rufa Rundfunk-Agenturienste GmbH in Berlin from 2011 to 2019.
About the German Press Agency (dpa)
Founded in 1949, the German Press Agency (dpa) stands as a leading independent news agency globally.DPA provides a wide array of editorial content to media outlets, companies, and organizations, including texts, photos, videos, graphics, and radio contributions.
Key facts about dpa:
- International presence with reporting in seven languages.
- Approximately 1,000 journalists across around 140 locations worldwide.
- Shareholders include around 170 German media companies.
- Editorial independence guided by the DPA statute.
- Central editorial office in Berlin, led by editor-in-chief Sven Gösmann.
- Management headquarters in Hamburg, under the leadership of Chairman Peter Kropsch.
- Supervisory board chaired by daniel Schöningh (CEO Ippen-Mediengruppe, Munich).
Christopher Höpfner Joins DPA: Q&A on the New Head of Sales and Marketing
This article answers the frequently asked questions about Christopher Höpfner’s appointment as the new Head of Sales and Marketing at the German press Agency (dpa), shedding light on his background, the agency’s structure, and the legacy of his predecessor.
Who is Christopher Höpfner, the New Head of Sales and marketing at dpa?
Christopher Höpfner is the incoming Head of Sales and Marketing at the German Press Agency (dpa), effective April 1, 2025. He is a 52-year-old media professional with extensive experiance in sales and marketing, especially within the magazine publishing industry. He transitioned to dpa from the RTL Group.
What experience does Christopher Höpfner bring to DPA?
Höpfner brings notable experience in sales, marketing, and digitization within the media sector. His key experiences include:
Executive Sales Director at RTL group: Spearheaded sales activities for Gruner + Jahr’s magazine portfolio.
Director Distribution & Sales: Overseeing all sales activities for print and digital news (e.g., stern) and economy products at Gruner + Jahr.
Management of Sales Units: Years of experience managing sales units in demanding markets.
Development of Business Models: expertise in developing and digitizing business and revenue models for media.
Trained Systemic Coach: Brings a unique leadership approach to the role.
What are Peter Kropsch’s views on Christopher Höpfner’s appointment?
Peter Kropsch, Chairman of the DPA management, expressed great enthusiasm for Christopher Höpfner’s appointment. He believes Höpfner’s expertise in the media business and his experience in managing sales units, developing business models, and driving digitization will be invaluable to dpa as it navigates the evolving media landscape.
Who did Christopher Höpfner replace at DPA?
Christopher Höpfner succeeds Thorsten Matthies, who retired after 37 years with the German Press Agency.
What is DPA Headline News?
While “DPA Headline News” isn’t explicitly detailed in the article, it is implied that DPA delivers breaking news and headline news services as part of its broader news offerings to media outlets
Who is Thorsten Matthies and what was his role at DPA?
Thorsten Matthies is the retiring Head of Sales and Marketing at DPA, concluding a 37-year career with the agency. He is a trained journalist who held various key positions throughout his tenure:
Editor in the radio news editorial team.
Editor in the state offices of Frankfurt/Main and Hamburg.
Deputy head of the Panorama department.
Head of the economic department.
Builder of dpa-regiodata (data mining and computer-assisted reporting team).
Head of Sales and Marketing domestic.
Duty for the agency’s international business.
Authorized officer.
Managing director of the DPA subsidiary Rufa Rundfunk-Agenturienste GmbH.
What contributions did Thorsten Matthies make to DPA?
According to Peter Kropsch, Thorsten Matthies shaped dpa through his commitment, skill, and problem-solving abilities. He consistently found solutions that benefited both DPA and its customers.
What is dpa-regiodata?
dpa-regiodata was the frist editorial team at dpa focused on data mining and computer-assisted reporting,built by Thorsten Matthies.
what is the German Press Agency (dpa)?
the German press Agency (dpa) is a leading autonomous news agency globally, founded in 1949. It provides a wide range of editorial content to media outlets, companies, and organizations. This includes:
Texts
Photos
Videos
Graphics
Radio contributions
DPA has an international presence, reporting in seven languages with approximately 1,000 journalists across around 140 locations worldwide.
How is DPA structured?
here’s a snapshot of dpa’s organizational structure:
shareholders: Around 170 German media companies.
Editorial Independence: Guided by the DPA statute.
Central Editorial Office: Located in Berlin, led by editor-in-chief Sven Gösmann.
Management Headquarters: Located in Hamburg, under the leadership of chairman Peter Kropsch.
Supervisory Board: chaired by Daniel Schöningh (CEO Ippen-Mediengruppe, Munich).
Where is DPA located?
DPA has a central editorial office in Berlin and management headquarters in Hamburg.It also has a global presence with journalists in approximately 140 locations worldwide.
DPA Leadership Structure
| Position | Name | Location |
| —————————– | ———————- | ——— |
| Chairman of the DPA management | peter Kropsch | hamburg |
| Editor-in-Chief | Sven Gösmann | Berlin |
| Head of Sales & marketing | Christopher Höpfner | Hamburg |
| Supervisory Board Chair | Daniel Schöningh | Munich |