New university leadershipNew Executive University Board Begins Work

4 October 2023, by Newsroom editorial office

Photo: Claudia Höhne

The new Executive University Board (from left): Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, Tilo Böhmann, Jetta Frost, Hauke Heekeren, Natalia Filatkina, Martin Hecht, Sebastian Gerling

On 1 October 2023, Universität Hamburg’s new Executive University Board began its work. Hauke Heekeren, Jetta Frost, Natalia Filatkina, Tilo Böhmann, Martin Hecht, Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, and Sebastian Gerlin now form the new university leadership.

The Executive University Board oversees the University. It is responsible for, among other things, the University’s Structure and Development Plan, academic searches, financial plans, and statutes as well as for the target and performance agreement with the education authorities.

The University’s president, Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren, has been in office since March 2022. He heads the Executive University Board and oversees guidelines. He is also responsible for University strategy, communications, sustainability, digitalization, international affairs, academic searches, and legal matters.

Prof. Dr. Jetta Frost has been vice president for knowledge exchange, careers, and equal opportunity since 2013. She is responsible for further developing knowledge exchange, the University’s third dimension, in cooperation with the faculties and the Knowledge Exchange Agency. Her responsibilities also cover the strategic development of academic staff, especially academic and research career paths; equal opportunity, diversity, work and family compatibility; and support for doctoral and early career researchers. Frost has been a professor of organization and corporate leadership in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences since 2005.

As vice president for studies and teaching, Prof. Dr. Natalia Filatkina succeeds Prof. Dr. Susanne Rupp, who took office in 2014. Filatkina is responsible for studies and teaching as well as continuing education in academic and higher education teaching. This covers teacher education, quality assurance, and accreditation, STiNE, and e-learning. Filatkina is a professor of German linguistics in the Faculty of Humanities.

Informatics expert Prof. Dr. Tilo Böhmann is the new vice president for research. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Jan Louis, who had held the office since 2016. Böhmann is responsible for strategic funding and the further development of research at the University. He is also responsible for, among other things, scientific infrastructure and information provision (libraries). Böhmann is head of the IT management and consulting research group in the Department of Informatics (Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences).

Dr. Martin Hecht has been head of administration at Universität Hamburg since 2013. He heads the University’s administration and is responsible for the budget as well as for HR, property data management, and finance and accounting / management accounting.

As chief sustainability officer (CSO), Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons has been developing and implementing an integrated sustainability strategy for Universität Hamburg since December 2022. She heads the Sustainability Office. Edinger-Schons is a professor of business administration with a focus on sustainable economics in the Department of Socioeconomics at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Gerling has been the chief digital officer (CDO) since 2021. In close coordination with the Executive University Board and other stakeholders, he has been coordinating the development and continuation of the University’s digitalization strategy. Gerling heads the Digital Office.