Henceforward, Bucerius Law School, founded in 2000 by the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius as the first and only privately funded law school in Germany, will be jointly directed by its dean Katharina Boele-Woelki and Meinhard Weizmann, who has had a distinguished career in the media industry. The law school is ranked as one of the best in Germany and is widely regarded as one of the most innovative institutions due to its partnerships with 90 universities in 33 countries, its Center on the Legal Profession, and several other research institutes.
Meinhard Weizmann, a business economist who hails from Nürnberg, has held several posts at Bertelsmann media group since 2000, latterly as Senior Vice President Finance Transformation. Prior to this role, he held posts at Gruner + Jahr as COO and managing director in the Netherlands (2007-2014), and was in charge of international strategy development (2002-2006) in Hamburg. Before this, he worked for Bertelsmann in the UK, and for Royal Dutch Shell Group in Germany and France. Meinhard Weizmann specializes in business transformation and digital business development.
Prof. Dr. Michael Göring, Chairman of the Board of Directors at ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bucerius Law School, has welcomed the decision of the selection committee: "With his passion for media and digital innovation, Meinhard Weizmann is ideally placed to provide Bucerius Law School with new ideas and insights that can enhance both the school's digital development and its academic performance. His international expertise and international experience were also decisive criteria for his appointment as Hariolf Wenzler's successor. Our private law school remains at the forefront of innovation, and under the new joint leadership team will continue to show itself as a dynamic institution in the fast-changing landscape of higher education."
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Katharina Boele-Woelki, Dean of Bucerius Law School, has also welcomed the appointment: "Successful leadership of a higher education institution is a team effort. Inviting Meinhard Weizmann to share the task of leading Bucerius Law School from the autumn of 2016 is a sign that we do not intend to rest on our achievements. The high rate of student satisfaction, the international profile, interdisciplinary orientation and the outstanding reputation of Bucerius Law School all combine to provide us as a leadership team with a strong motivation to invest in the future development of innovative law studies and research."
