20 degrees, sunshine, holiday feeling - this is how Bari welcomed us on November 13, 2019, on the grand opening day of our product and development office. We welcomed around 50 guests from the city of Bari and the digital industry and were proud to inaugurate our new premises with a view of the Adriatic Sea.
Ceremonial opening of the new premises
After Azzurra Ragone, head of the new location in Bari, welcomed the guests, BurdaForward CEO Oliver Eckert presented the BurdaForward vision of good news and the associated media brands such as FOCUS Online and CHIP. Mayor Antonio Decaro followed him onto the stage. He expressed his enthusiasm for entrepreneurship in Bari and assured his support. Professor Donato Malerba (Università Bari) and Professor Tommaso Di Noia (Politecnico di Bari), spoke of a promising collaboration and thanked BurdaForward for the recognition of its university graduates. Michele Moretti, CEO of the IT consultancy Fincons, which provides BurdaForward with significant support for its entry into the Italian market, concluded the speeches as he thanked the guests for their partnership and cooperation.
Thomas Koelzer, CTO of BurdaForward, Azzurra Ragone, Oliver Eckert and Patricia Benedum, who has played a major role in the opening of the location in recent months, symbolically cut the ribbon at the opening of the newly renovated premises. All guests were invited to relax and network over Italinan snacks at the end of the evening.
Bari prevails over 30 other cities
The Italian city of Bari was chosen from 30 cities in 18 different countries. With two large, technical universities - the traditional Università Bari and the modern Politecnico di Bari - the port city is the scene of a rapidly growing tech community, thus creating a balance between modernity and Italian tradition.
Product development on the Adriatic Sea
A few weeks ago, the first colleagues moved into their new offices in Via Oberdan 40. With a fantastic view of the deep blue Adriatic Sea, they are working on products such as FOCUS Online’s local news platform, the CHIP download area and the comparison portals BestCheck and cardscout.
Bari is BurdaForward's seventh location, alongside the German offices in Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt where more than 650 colleagues produce reliable, relevant and solution-oriented news and thus shape the future together.
Sara Kiesler
BurdaForward Communications
I like to tell stories. For example, about the work environment at BurdaForward - because I take care of internal communications and our events. I spend my free time with my dog, or depending on the season, also on the SUP or skiing. Basically, I like to be in nature! Preferably in the beautiful Bavarian Alps and my much-loved home, the Black Forest.
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It’s settled! We are opening BurdaForward's first international office in the Italian port city of Bari. For our market entry in Italy we are receiving support from our partner, the Fincons Group, a leading management consultancy in the IT sector with more than 36 years of experience in the international market.