CMO OF THE YEAR 2021: ANTJE VON DEWITZ
Antje von Dewitz
VAUDE
The CMO of the Year jury, made up of 24 members from the CMO of the Year Council and selected marketing and media experts from publishing houses, TV, academia and agencies, has come to a decision: Antje von Dewitz is CMO of the Year 2021. She is the CEO of outdoor brand VAUDE, a role in which she is also responsible for the marketing.
Antje von Dewitz is following on from previous CMO of the Year winners Dr Ian Robertson (BMW), Godo Röben (Rügenwalder Mühle), Hans-Christian Schwingen (Deutsche Telekom), Eric Liedtke (Adidas), Karsten Kühn (Hornbach), Tarek Müller (ABOUT YOU) and, in 2020, Susan Schramm (McDonald’s).
The nominees for the CMO of the Year Award 2021 (in alphabetical order) were:
- Maximilian Backhaus, HelloFresh
- Sebastian Bayer, dm-drogerie markt
- Kristina Bulle, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH
- Christiane Büring, Indeed Deutschland GmbH
- Boris Dolkhani, Bosch
- Bettina Fetzer, Daimler AG
- Christopher Huesmann, flaschenpost SE
- Anja Stolz, R+V Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- Antje von Dewitz, VAUDE
- Mirco Wolf Wiegert, fritz-kulturgüter GmbH
CMO of the Year 2021
In Munich this evening, Antje von Dewitz, CEO of VAUDE, was awarded Germany’s highest marketing distinction for her work as Chief Marketing Officer. She was presented with the prize by last year’s winner Susan Schramm, Executive Board Member and CMO at McDonald’s Germany, who also held the laudatory speech.
Antje von Dewitz was delighted to receive the award: “As a medium-sized company in a fiercely competitive international industry, we have always known that big campaigns aren’t the right way for us to develop our image. Which makes me all the more proud and delighted to be receiving this distinction. It just goes to show that our fantastic team – with lots of passion, creativity and team spirit – has succeeded in making people enthusiastic about VAUDE’s sustainable contents.”
ANTJE VON DEWITZ, CMO of VAUDE
“As a medium-sized company in a fiercely competitive international industry, we have always known that big campaigns aren’t the right way for us to develop our image. Especially as our marketing budget is small (in favour of our sustainable orientation) and we also deploy a lot of human resources in marketing for the transparent communication of our ecological and social commitment. Which makes me all the more proud and delighted to be receiving this distinction. It just goes to show that our fantastic team – with lots of passion, creativity and team spirit – has succeeded in making people enthusiastic about VAUDE’s sustainable contents.”
JURY OPINION
Horst von Buttlar
Editor-in-Chief of Capital magazine and jury spokesperson, explained the jury’s choice as follows:
“Sustainability has been relevant for all companies for a long time, but a lot are only jumping on the bandwagon now. VAUDE has always been different in that respect. The family-run company’s strong beliefs made it a pioneer, which Antje von Dewitz further cemented when she took over the company management. Over the years she has consistently aligned the company with its ecological and social values, resulting in its clear and authentic positioning today. The culture at VAUDE is something very special. This pioneering achievement in the management of the brand demands courage, a willingness to take risks, creativity and perseverance. Antje von Dewitz’ success is proving her right: years ahead of many brands, she is a role model for numerous entrepreneurs and founders – and not only when it comes to the transition towards climate neutrality.”
