Reiner Mittelbach, 'publishing innovation leader', dies at 59

Jun 02, 2017 at 09:00 pm by Staff


Reiner Mittelbach, who was the first chief executive of the then newly-merged WAN-Ifra, has died aged 59.

KnowledgeView, which he joined last year, announced that he had died peacefully on Wednesday (May 31), surrounded by his wife Evelyn and three daughters.

He joined the then newspaper printing-focussed Ifra research association in 2001, and led it to a broader focus on multimedia and media convergence, greatly expanding the organisation in the process. He was appointed chief executive following the 2009 merger with the World Association of Newspapers, staying in the role for almost a year.

Reiner Mittelbach entered the printing and graphic arts industry in 1996 as sales director for guillotine-maker Polar-Mohr in Germany, and transferred to parent Heidelberg after two-and-a-half years, as European and North American sales director for its market-leading Speedmaster sheetfed presses and then marketing senior vice president of its finishing business unit.

After studying business and engineering in Karlsruhe, Germany, he joined Unilever's 4P packaging group in 1986, later taking a number of roles including at packaging company Menshen.

He left WAN-Ifra in 2010, joining Geopolitical Information Service as chief executive. At UK-based KnowledgeView from 2016, he held board positions in the group and also NewsSocial and Rewardisement. The company claims more than 50 media companies and 6000 journalists using its Publish Live systems.

"With his death, the publishing industry has lost a great talent and an innovation leader; his family and friends, a great human being full of energy, fun and optimism," the company said in a statement. "We mourn our loss and celebrate his achievements and the good time we spent with him.

"Those who worked with him in the group, Ali Al-Assam, Richard Withey, Roberto Minio, Steve Liles, Manal Moukaddem and many others owe him a great debt for all that he has done to advance their work and will remember him fondly for the years to come."

Apart from his professional engagement, he had a fulfilled private life with his family, the company said. Especially in the last few years, he enjoyed his time in the mountains of Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Austria going hiking, skiing and taking lots of fantastic pictures to capture all the great moments forever.

On top of that, he discovered golf as his new most-favourite sport for himself and his family. Doing so, he spent many happy hours on the golf course with his wife, daughters and friends.

• Consultant Allan Marshall, who was chairman of Ifra's advisory council from 2003-2006, worked closely with Mittelbach on industry initiatives in various parts of the world.

"Reiner was highly regarded throughout the industry," he says. "With his openness, warmth and abundance of energy, he successfully led Ifra into the new millennium and the electronic era, his leadership being characterised by respect, honesty and a wonderful sense of humour.

"He touched many lives and will be remembered not only for his astute business knowledge but mostly for his sincere, warm and caring nature. H was was a keen photographer and his work would put many professional photographers to shame. He spent his spare time hiking and skiing in the mountains of Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland."

At GIS, Mittelbach worked with Prince Michael of Liechtenstein to provide business leaders, senior managers and policymakers with unbiased, scenario-based geopolitical forecasts to inform their strategic decision-making.

In London this weekend to conduct a workshop, Allan Marshall told GXpress he had recently contacted Reiner's former PA, Yvonne Zimmerman, about arranging a lunch with the two of them in Frankfurt later this month: "Reiner and I would meet about every six months to catch up and I thought I would surprise him with Yvonne's presence," he says.

"Unfortunately, it was not to be."

Sections: Newsmedia industry

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