Profile
Abstract
Professor Dr. rer. pol. Christof Ehrhart is Global Head of Corporate Communications & Governmental Affairs and Executive Vice President of Robert Bosch GmbH, a leading global technology and service company. From 2009 until 2018 he was Head of Corporate Communications & Responsibility and Executive Vice President at Deutsche Post DHL Group.
Before he was in charge of Corporate Communications at European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and the pharmaceutical company Schering AG.
Ehrhart holds a pdD in political science 2013 and is adjunct Professor for International Corporate Communications at the Institute for Communications and Media Science of the University of Leipzig. Ehrhart has published a number of articles on media and communications in magazines and scientific books. Since 2016 he is writing a blog on the future of Corporate Communications in the age of digital disruption at www.futureproofingpr.com.
Professional career
- since 01/2013
Adjunct Professor for International Corporate Communications, University of Leipzig - 10/2000 - 12/2012
Visiting lectures in the fields of corporate communications / communications management at FU Berlin, University of Zurich, University of Leipzig - since 01/2019
Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications and Governmental Affairs, Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart-Gerlingen) - 01/2009 - 12/2018
Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications and Responsibility, Deutsche Post DHL Group (Bonn) - 01/2007 - 12/2008
Corporate Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications, EADS (Ottobrunn / Paris) - 01/2004 - 12/2006
Head of Corporate Communications, Schering AG (Berlin) - 01/2001 - 12/2002
Managing Director, Highlight New Business, Highlight Communications AG, Luzern (Switzerland) - 01/1999 - 12/2001
Vice President Corporate Communications, Product Management and Event Marketing, Bertelsmann Online, Baar (Switzerland) - 01/1998 - 12/1998
Vice President Public Relations, AOL Bertelsmann Europe, Baar (Switzerland) - 01/1997 - 12/1997
Vice President Cultural Affairs and Public Relations, Bertelsmann Book AG, Munich - 01/1995 - 12/1997
Director Corporate Issues, Corporate Communications, Bertelsmann AG, Gütersloh - 08/1992 - 12/1994
Research Fellow, Department of Political Science, Saar University - 01/1987 - 12/1994
Free-lance journalist for newspapers and TV
Education
- 08/1992 - 12/1997
After doctoral studies in economics and public law promotion to Dr. rer. pol. (Dissertation: "Transformation in Ungarn und der DDR") - 04/1987 - 07/1992
Studies in Political Science, Economic History and German Literature at the Saar University (Saarbrücken) and the University of Wales (College of Cardiff), Degree: Master of Arts
Panel Memberships
- since 10/2013
Member of the Board of Econsense, Forum for Sustainable Development of German Business - since 01/2013
Member of the Sustainability Advisory Board of SAP AG - since 01/2014
Member of the Arthur Page Society - since 10/2013
Participant of the Baden Baden Entrepreneur Talks - since 01/2009
Founding member of the Academic Society for Corporate Management & Communications, Leipzig - 01/2009 - 12/2012
Founding Chair of the Board of Trustees of Quadriga University of Applied Sciences (Berlin)
Besides my corporate career I have been continuously engaged as visiting lecturer in the academic discipline of Corporate Communications. My teaching assignments include the Free University Berlin, the University of Zurich and the University of Leipzig. Until 2011 I was heading the Board of Trustees of the newly founded private Quadriga University Berlin.
I studied Political Science, Economic History and German Literature at the University of Saarland (Saarbrücken) and at the University of Wales (College of Cardiff). After having earned my Ph.D. in Political Science for a study on the transformation of political systems I worked as research fellow at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Saarland.
- show detailsEhrhart, C.Kommunikationssteuerung in Zeiten der PostmoderneIn: Rolke, L.; Sass, J. (Eds.)Kommunikationssteuerung. Oldenburg: de Gruyter. 2016. pp. 81–92.
- show detailsEhrhart, C.Unternehmenskommunikation in der (digitalen) Postmoderne: Alles auf neu?In: Deekeling, E.; Barghop, D. (Eds.)Kommunikation in der digitalen Transformation. Wiesbaden : Springer Gabler. 2017. pp. 34–45.
- show detailsEhrhart, C.Erfolgsfaktor PR. Impulse für die UnternehmenskommunikationFrankfurt am Main: Frankfurter Allgemeine Buch. 2019.
My seminars focus on the success factors of international Corporate Communications practice. Students learn to apply concrete communications measures in dealing with realistic show cases. Dimensions such as communications strategy, crisis communication, internal communication and stakeholder engagement play key roles.
The teaching aims at conveying the conditions of excellent international communications management in an increasingly complex internal and external environment due to social media-induced hyper-transparency, globalized business relations and increased expectations of critical stakeholders and new geopolitical conditions.
The seminars are held in english.
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Global Corporate Communications
The seminar addresses current challenges and solutions for strategic communication in global companies. Practical knowledge on the success factors of international corporate communications will be conveyed and tested along case studies. The focus will be on new demands which arise from digitalization, sustainability and societal / political change. These will also be dealt with in the parallel course "International Research in Communication Management".