Sönke Iwersen takes his audience behind the scenes of major scandals. As head of the investigative team at Handelsblatt, he reports first-hand on how scandals come to light – from the initial clues to the headlines. In his lectures, seemingly abstract terms such as compliance, corporate governance and crisis communication come to life.
His insights are based on over 20 years of experience. Iwersen made the Ergo Insurance Budapest affair public, conducted extensive research into the Wirecard scandal and is one of the most knowledgeable experts on the Cum-Ex tax scandal.
Iwersen was named Business Journalist of the Year back in 2011. His internationally acclaimed investigation into Edward Snowden’s previously unknown escape helpers earned him the Kurt Tucholsky Prize for Literary Journalism. Most recently, in November 2025, he received the Helmut Schmidt Journalism Prize for his documentary on the obstruction of the Cum-Ex investigations.
Also in 2025, Iwersen and his Handelsblatt colleague Michael Verfürden published the book The Tesla Files. The SPIEGEL bestseller, which was awarded the Special Prize of the German Business Book Award, was also published in English by Penguin Random House.
Sönke Iwersen Lecture topics
- The Tesla system: Behind the scenes of a global corporation
Based on the ‘Tesla Files’ and years of research, Sönke Iwersen shows what happens when a company is run like a cult. He reports on the conditions behind Tesla’s factory walls, how accidents involving the autopilot are handled, and the reality behind Elon Musk’s countless promises.
Key learnings: corporate culture under pressure, risks of disruptive growth, transparency versus propaganda.
- Anatomy of a revelation: how major scandals come to light
From Ergo Insurance to Cum-Ex tax fraud, Iwersen provides insights into the methodology of investigative research. He explains how whistleblowers make contact, how information is verified and what dynamics arise once a scandal becomes public. He also shows what companies should never do when investigative journalists are researching.
Key learnings: crisis communication, dealing with investigative enquiries, compliance as a protective shield.
- White-collar crime and corporate culture: insights into closed systems
Why do internal controls fail? Using prominent cases from the last two decades, Iwersen analyses the recurring patterns of white-collar crime and mismanagement. He describes the mechanisms of power, loyalty and silence that he has observed in German and international corporations.
Key learnings: Early detection of undesirable developments, corporate governance, leadership ethics.
What to expect
Practical, precise, entertaining: Sönke Iwersen makes complex topics such as compliance, corporate governance and crisis communication tangible using real-life cases, based on original material from Ergo to Tesla. His lectures are in German and English (fluent).
Selected appearances & media (2025)
Sönke Iwersen is a sought-after guest on international stages and in leading media formats. A selection of his appearances in 2025:
- TV & talk shows: Markus Lanz (ZDF), SAT.1 Frühstücksfernsehen, Der Club (Zurich), BBC Media Show (London), Weekend Today (Sydney).
- Podcasts & Radio: Handelsblatt Crime (responsible since 2021), OMR Podcast, Ronzheimer, Apokalypse & Filterkaffee, Guardian – Today in Focus (London), RNZ National (New Zealand), Media Confidential (London), SWR1 Leute.
- Events & Keynotes: Web Summit (Lisbon), CFO Summit (Düsseldorf), How To Academy (London), Bankhaus Metzler, Lufthansa Consulting.
Who is Sönke Iwersen?
After completing his training at the Axel Springer School of Journalism, Sönke Iwersen worked in the business editorial department of the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper. In 2006, he moved to Handelsblatt, where he established the investigative team in 2012 and continues to lead it today. Since 2021, he has been responsible for the ‘Handelsblatt Crime’ podcast. In addition to his journalistic work, Iwersen teaches at the Holtzbrinck School of Journalism.
Awards (selection)
Business Journalist of the Year (2011) · Georg von Holtzbrinck Prize (2011) · German Journalism Prize (2011, 2019, 2025) · Guardian Prize of the Daily Press (2012, 2015, 2019, 2025) · Henri Nannen Prize (2013) · Kurt Tucholsky Prize for Literary Journalism (2017) · Sigma Delta Chi Awards (USA, 2017) · German Reporter Award (2020) · LGT Media Award (Austria, 2020) · Private Media Award for Quality Journalism (Switzerland, 2021) · European Press Prize (2023) · Helmut Schmidt Journalism Award (2025)