Andreas Pinkwart to join Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board

The Board of Trustees of the Bertelsmann Stiftung has appointed Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart to the foundation's Executive Board. He joins the Executive Board on July 1, 2026 after long serving as a trusted member of the foundation's Board of Trustees. Pinkwart is a recognized expert in the fields of economics, innovation and digitalization. He will serve as a professor of Innovation and Technology Management at TU Dresden until June 30, 2026. On October 1, 2026, he will assume a part-time senior professorship in Strategic Entrepreneurship at the University of Bonn. From 2005 to 2010, he served as Deputy Minister-President and Minister of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. From 2017 to 2022, he was the state's Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy.

“I know and hold Andreas Pinkwart in high regard from our years of collaborating closely on the Bertelsmann Stiftung Board of Trustees,” says Liz Mohn, founder and honorary member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Board of Trustees. “Throughout his career, he has made many valuable contributions to the sustainability of our country and our economy. I firmly believe that a figure like Andreas Pinkwart will be a great asset to the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, and I look forward to his commitment and creative leadership.”

“We are delighted that Andreas Pinkwart – a proven expert in the further development of economic, social and scientific issues in Germany and Europe – has accepted this appointment to the foundation's Executive Board,” says Bodo Uebber, chairman of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Board of Trustees. “With his many years of institutional and academic experience, he embodies continuity, the further development of fundamental systems in Germany and Europe, and the associated commitment to transforming society in innovative ways.”

“We warmly welcome Andreas Pinkwart to the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board,” says Brigitte Mohn, chairwoman of the Executive Board. “He combines academic excellence and expertise in implementing the required reforms with a high degree of personal credibility. We need experienced leaders like Andreas Pinkwart if we are to make use of the innovative power of civil society and academia to ensure the state is capable of taking effective action in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.”

“I know and value the Bertelsmann Stiftung as an important hub for social reform in Germany and Europe,” says Andreas Pinkwart, commenting on his appointment. “I am therefore very pleased I will be able to contribute my expertise and experience to the nonprofit foundation's Executive Board. I thank the Board of Trustees for the trust they have placed in me and look forward to working with the Executive Board and the foundation's staff to develop the solutions urgently needed for the modernization of our country.”

Andreas Pinkwart will serve as a professor of Innovation and Technology Management at TU Dresden until June 30, 2026. On October 1, 2026, he will assume a part-time senior professorship in Strategic Entrepreneurship at the University of Bonn. After studying Economics and Business Administration, he received his doctorate from the University of Bonn in 1991. He subsequently held various professorships, first at the University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration NRW in Düsseldorf and at the University of Siegen. 

In 2011, he served as a Senior Research Fellow at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC (USA) and, in the same year, he became rector of the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. At the same time, he was appointed professor of Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship at HHL. He held both positions until the end of June 2017. On January 1, 2023, he was appointed professor of Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management at the University of Siegen. 

Pinkwart has served as Minister of Science (2005–2010), Minister of Innovation (2005–2010 and 2017–2022) and Minister of Economic Affairs, Digital Affairs and Energy (2017–2022) of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. From 2005 to 2010, he served as the state's Deputy Minister-President. In addition, he has been a member of the German Bundestag (2002–2005), German Bundesrat (2005–2010 and 2017–2022) and State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia (2010 and 2022). He has served as state chairman (2002–2010) and deputy federal chairman of the FDP (2003–2011). He has many years of experience participating in academic institutions such as the German Rectors' Conference and the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. He has been a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Board of Trustees since 2023 and will step down from this position on June 30, 2026.