Mike de Vries

Mike de Vries ( born December 8, 1958 in Arnsberg ) is a German manager with a focus on Brand & Business Development. He was, inter alia, Managing the initiative " Germany - Land of Ideas".

Career

Mike de Vries completed a course of study at the Academy of Fencing Germany in Essen and Tauberbischofsheim as a graduate master's, another at the German Sport University in Cologne with a diploma in physical education teacher. An international business studies in Germany and the USA ( Steinbeis University Berlin, DePaul University, Chicago, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University), he finished 2005 with a Master of Business and Administration ( MBA).

After a period as national coach at the German Association for Modern Pentathlon (1988-1993), Sports Director (1993-1996) and Secretary General (1996-1998), affiliated to the German Hockey Federation, was Mike de Vries, Head of Sponsorship and later Head of the Bitburger Brauerei Th Simon GmbH (1998-2003 ). As an attorney, he was responsible mainly the areas of marketing, public relations and public relations, sponsorship and event management. In addition, he managed the technical support and exhibition management. As part of its activities, the integrated brand was developed with the main topics Olympia, German Football Association ( DFB) and Formula 1 Mike de Vries was in the context of the commitment official press spokesman of the German House at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000. In 2003 the advertising campaign with the German national football team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup awarded the POS Marketing Award.

2003 Mike de Vries was appointed Managing Director of the Leipzig GmbH 2012 by the National Olympic Committee. He led the German bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics as part of the international competition.

Following the departure of Leipzig from the Olympic bid Mike de Vries in early 2005 was appointed Managing Director of FC Germany GmbH ordered (2007 Change of name to marketing for Germany GmbH) in order - as Handelsblatt reported - the initiative " Germany - Land of Ideas" of the Federal Government and the German industry, represented by the Federation of German Industries, build and coordinate. The initiative was established as an image campaign for Germany in the World Cup 2006. The patronage of the then Federal President Horst Köhler. The foundations were laid by Mike de Vries through a comprehensive coordination of all participating institutions and companies as well as intensive coordination with the federal government and FIFA. 23 DAX companies mainly from Germany took part in the initiative. The first communication measures were accompanied by the 31 -country tour with Franz Beckenbauer, the welcome initiative "Welcome to Germany", which with the EVA Award 2006, the Golden Flame and the German PR Prize 2007 Award Winning "Walk of Ideas " and the "365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas " (awarded the European Excellence Award). The initiative was one of the most successful concepts of location marketing in the sense of the modern nation branding. Their goal was to present Germany at home and abroad as the country's technological innovation, the creative, cultural and social impulses and the wealth of ideas in science and research. The main areas of activities have shifted after the 2006 World Cup abroad. These included a three-year event series " Germany and China - Moving Ahead Together " as well as some several times in public fallen into criticism EXPO in Shanghai 2010. Among other through these networked communication measures improved Germany 's Nation Brands Index of Place 7 (2005), No. 1 (2008), and then stabilized with 3rd in 2009 and 2nd in 2010 among the top three. The site was released for their services in addition to the policies Award 2006 with the silver medal at the AME Awards in New York and as a " Brand of the Century ".

For the transfer of knowledge of the use of major sports events as a communication platform de Vries was since 2006 Organising for South African institutions of government and the Local Organising Committee (LOC ) with views of the Football World Cup 2010 advisory role, as he stands with Brazil in preparation for the World Cup 2014 in dialogue. After the end of his work for the initiative "Land of Ideas " in 2009 increased de Vries its activities for South Africa. There he developed with a South African contractor, the public-private project " International Football Village " in Johannesburg. In close cooperation with the SRSA ( South African Sports Ministry ), the GTZ, the Chamber of Commerce and the German Embassy under his leadership with over 100,000 visitors created a platform for African hospitality, cultural exchange, international dialogue, and for political as well as economic discussion forums during the football World Cup 2010.

Since June 2012, he is managing director of urban society Heidelberg marketing.