Consulting for new growth businesses, internationalisation and brand expansion
Growth begins alongside the core business.
New growth arises where companies think beyond their core business: in new growth businesses, international markets and brand expansion. I advise media companies, universities and educational institutions as well as owners of strong brands in identifying, developing and successfully realising this growth potential.
20+years in leadership roles at Bertelsmann, Gruner + Jahr and Hubert Burda Media, among others.
16countries in which the media brand GEO was launched under my responsibility.
700+media and brand partnerships realised with the Burda Brand Licensing division.
Target groups
In my consulting work I advise media companies, universities and educational institutions as well as owners of strong brands on developing new growth businesses, on internationalisation and on brand expansion.
Media companies
Traditional revenue streams are coming under growing pressure. I advise media companies on unlocking new growth potential – particularly through internationalisation and the expansion of strong media brands into new growth businesses.
Universities and educational institutions
Demographic change and growing competition for students call for new growth strategies. I advise universities and educational institutions on unlocking new market potential.
Owners of strong brands
Strong brands offer growth potential well beyond their core business. I advise companies and brand owners on unlocking that potential – through new products and growth businesses, strategic partnerships, and expansion into new markets.
The individual project is never the point. The question is always how a business model can be developed further.
Dr. Andre Moellersmann
Services
The following cases stem from operational responsibility held within the companies named.
New Growth Businesses
Opening up new growth businesses on the basis of existing strengths such as brands, reach, customer access and expertise. From developing the business model through building the organisation to securing commercial performance.
- Burda Brand Licensing 2012–2020Built into one of Germany’s leading brand licensing agencies for brand and media partnerships, licensed products and live brand experiences. Burda Brand Licensing in the annual reports (extracts).
- University of Applied Management 2021–2023Extending the growth trajectory of the university group through new campuses, degree and executive education programmes, and partnerships with technology companies.
Internationalisation
Transferring successful business models and brands into international markets. From selecting and assessing suitable target markets through developing the market entry strategy and choosing the right partners to successful implementation on the ground.
- GEO International 2005–2012Building an international editorial and publishing unit for print and digital, through which GEO was launched into new markets together with international publishing partners.
- Parenting International Network 2008–2012Building a cross-border digital network based on ELTERN.de, entering markets even where no local magazine business existed.
Brand Expansion
Opening up new revenue streams by expanding strong brands into new product categories and everyday contexts, designing strategic cooperations and partnerships, and entering new markets.
- InStyle und ELLE 2017–2020Securing the licensing rights to ELLE and InStyle for the German-speaking market and developing them into licensed brands across numerous product categories with retail presence.
- Freundin Home Collection 2012–2020Developing a media brand into a licensed brand in its own right, with a wide range of licensed home & living products in retail.
What others say about my work
He built the licensing business at Burda Verlag virtually from nothing over recent years and shaped it decisively.
Elisabeth VarnManaging Director, Burda Magazine Holding
He knows how to analyse market trends and customer needs precisely, and to turn those insights into innovative and profitable licensing agreements.
Susan MolzowCEO, Jahreszeiten Publishing Group
Working with Andre is a pleasure on every joint project: he creates ideas, gets things moving and takes responsibility for what he has set in motion, connects people and makes things possible.
Prof. Dr. Gunnar MauProfessor of Marketing and Retail, H2 University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal
His stamina, friendly persistence and knack for finding solutions impressed me from the very beginning. What also sets him apart is self-reflection paired with a healthy dose of ambition to create something new.
Katharina JahrlingCOO, Klitschko Ventures
He is an excellent visionary, a strong strategist and he is consistently looking for new ways to grow the company’s revenue while also upholding ethical and fair standards at all times.
Christoph WerleManagement, Johann Lafer
Working with him and his team was always a pleasure – he is a consummate professional in his field. Personable, authentic, dependable and effective in execution.
Hermann WalaBrand expert and bestselling author
In conversation
Podcast · Hermann Scherer · Guest: Andre Moellersmann
Growth beyond the core business
On building new growth businesses within media companies, international brand expansion, and the question of how a strong brand can become a new growth business. The conversation is in German.
Podcast · Bundesvereinigung Mittelstand · Kajetan Brandstätter
New paths through education
On the University of Applied Management, the competition for students and the question of how to build educational offerings that connect practice and academic research.
Interview · Medientage München · Lisa Priller-Gebhardt
The underestimated business model: your own brand
Why a media company’s own brand is often an under-used asset – and how recognition and trust can be translated into durable revenue models beyond advertising and circulation.
Interview · Hubert Burda Media · Angelika Otto
Ten questions for Andre Moellersmann
On building Brand Licensing at Burda, opening up new growth businesses and the interplay of creativity, innovation and commercial judgement.
Entrepreneurship and research
My career has included positions at Bertelsmann, Gruner + Jahr and Hubert Burda Media, among others.
Within the Bertelsmann group I was responsible for the international expansion of the media brands GEO and GALA, developed international partnerships and opened up new markets abroad. At Hubert Burda Media I built one of Germany’s leading brand licensing businesses for the publisher’s media brands. The focus of my work was never the individual project, but always the strategic question of how business models can be developed further and additional value creation unlocked.
I was able to extend this experience across industries. As vice president of a university I was responsible for strategic development and growth projects as well as the internationalisation of the university group. Alongside my role on the executive board I completed a doctorate in international business administration there, examining the internationalisation strategies of universities of applied sciences – a field deliberately chosen outside my original industry focus.
Today I advise media companies, universities and educational institutions as well as brand owners on opening up new growth potential and lecture at university level on business model development, entrepreneurship and digital commerce.
Career
- since 2025MK BrandX · Managing Director and Co-Founder
- since 2023PrimeBrand Solutions · Managing Director and Founder
- since 2023Jahreszeiten Publishing Group · Director Strategic Partnerships & Licensing
- 2021–2023University of Applied Management · Vice President
- 2012–2020Hubert Burda Media · Director Brand Licensing, previously Director Merchandising & Licensing
- 2009–2012Gruner + Jahr · Director International Brands
- 2005–2009Gruner + Jahr · Director GEO International
- 2001–2005Gruner + Jahr · Assistant to the CEO, later Publishing Manager GALA and FRAU IM SPIEGEL
Education
- 2024Doctorate (Dr. rer. soc. oec.) · Hochschulinstitut Schaffhausen, Switzerland
- 2003Preparing for Opportunities · INSEAD, Fontainebleau
- 2001Diplom-Kaufmann (MSc equivalent) · University of Hamburg
- 1995Commercial apprenticeship · Bertelsmann, Gütersloh
In my doctoral thesis at Hochschulinstitut Schaffhausen in Switzerland I examined the internationalisation and market entry strategies of German universities of applied sciences. Based on an empirical analysis, the work identifies the central strategic and organisational success factors for international expansion. It takes a business management perspective – with findings that can in large part be transferred to companies seeking to enter new international markets. The thesis is available in bookshops (among others from Amazon).
Where is your next field of growth?
Let's talk about the potential that currently sits outside your core business. I look forward to the conversation.
Arrange an introductory call