Kai Diekmann is one of Germany’s best-known media figures.
As long-time editor-in-chief of BILD, he shaped political and journalistic debate in Germany for many years. Today, he is an entrepreneur, founder and consultant at the interface of media, communication, digital transformation and leadership. After leaving Axel Springer in 2017, he founded the communications agency StoryMachine in Berlin together with Philipp Jessen. In 2023, he published his book ‘Ich war BILD’ (I was BILD), in which he provides insights into power, media and the mechanisms of the Berlin Republic.
Kai Diekmann Lecture topics
- Media power and opinion forming
How are headlines that move a country created? Kai Diekmann talks about the dynamics of public opinion, political communication and the transformation of traditional media.
- Digitalisation and transformation of media companies
From print product to digital brand: what strategies media companies need today to ensure relevance, reach and economic success.
- Storytelling, social media and brand management
Why good stories are more important today than ever before — and how companies, institutions and leaders build visibility, trust and impact.
- Leadership, power and responsibility
Drawing on decades of experience at the helm of an opinion-forming medium, Kai Diekmann talks about leadership under pressure, loyalty, decision-making skills and social responsibility.
Born in Ravensburg in 1964 and raised in Bielefeld, Kai Diekmann began his journalistic career after attending the Axel Springer School of Journalism. This was followed by positions as parliamentary correspondent, political editor and editor-in-chief before he headed BILD from 2001 to 2015. After almost three decades at Axel Springer, he reinvented himself as an entrepreneur: with StoryMachine as a communications agency for the digital age and with further engagements as a consultant, author and discussion partner on media, political and leadership topics.
Kai Diekmann currently appears regularly at conferences, media formats and discussion events, addressing issues such as media change, social polarisation and geopolitical uncertainty.