Berlin – zanox, the leading performance advertising network in Germany and across Europe, appoints Michael von Stern (45) to the executive board of the zanox Group as its new Chief Financial and Operating Officer (CFO/COO), with effect from 1 January 2014. Von Stern comes from zanox’s majority stakeholder, Axel Springer SE, where he established and headed the Commerce division, and to which, among other companies, the zanox Group also belongs. A qualified engineer, he previously worked for the international strategy consultants, A.T. Kearney, for a venture capital company, and as CFO/COO of the current zanox subsidiary, eprofessional. As Chief Financial Officer of zanox, Michael von Stern succeeds Joachim Piroth (47), who leaves zanox’s executive board team at the end of 2013.
“Over the past 15 years, Michael von Stern has proven himself in a variety of leading positions in the online media industry,” says Ralph Büchi, chairman of the supervisory board of ZANOX AG. “Through his work as the head of eprofessional, he has precise knowledge of the operative challenges faced in the performance marketing business. As the head of the Axel Springer Commerce division, he accompanied the zanox Group’s development into a global online marketing firm.” “We welcome Michael von Stern to his new role at zanox”, says Arndt Groth, CEO of Swiss PubliGroupe AG and deputy chairman of the zanox supervisory board. “He is the ideal person to take on the tasks of CFO and COO in the zanox executive board.”
Thomas Joosten, CEO of ZANOX AG: “Michael von Stern has known our market, the company and the leadership team for a long time. His comprehensive professional, strategic and operative experience and know-how make him the ideal successor to Joachim Piroth. We are delighted to be able to welcome him into the zanox team.”
Joachim Piroth has been responsible for the fields of finance and controlling at zanox since June 2010. In 2011, he was appointed to the company’s executive board as CFO by the supervisory board of zanox. “Joachim Piroth was responsible for the outstanding work that went into establishing the financial department of the zanox Group to meet the exacting demands of an international online company. On behalf of the entire supervisory board, I would like to thank him for this achievement,” says Büchi. “We regret that he will be leaving us, but fully respect his personal wish to return to the telecommunications sector and to his home city of Munich. We wish him every success in the future.”
From January 2014, the zanox executive board will therefore be made up of Thomas Joosten (Chief Executive Officer), Stefanie Lüdecke (Chief Sales Officer), Michael von Stern (Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer) and Christian Rebernik (Chief Technology Officer).
About zanox:
zanox is the leading performance advertising network in Europe. With over 600 employees across the globe, the zanox Group – comprising the companies, zanox, Affiliate Window, M4N and eprofessional – supports companies from all industries and of all sizes in the effective marketing of products and services on the internet. With zanox’ transaction-linked business model, advertisers only pay for the measurable success of their online advertising activities. Over 4,300 advertisers bank on the zanox global publisher network. Via the zanox marketplace, zanox connects advertisers and their agencies with publishers and thus gives them the opportunity to monetise their traffic. zanox stands for customer service with industry expertise, the highest standards of technology and security, as well as the swift and transparent payment of its partners. The zanox Group has its headquarters in Berlin and has branches in Germany, England, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Brazil and the USA.
ZANOX AG is owned by Axel Springer SE, with a shareholding of 52.5%, and by the Swiss PubliGroupe AG with 47.5%. More information at www.zanox.com.
