When an FC Bayern legend is deeply impressed by Mittweida

This is exactly what happens at the Mittweida Academic Dialogue (ADM) organised by the Faculty Media Sciences at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (HSMW). Genuine industry professionals speak in a relaxed and informal setting about what working life is really like – and share a few tips, as well as recounting both positive and negative experiences that have helped advance their own careers and the success of their companies.

On 22 October, Markus Hörwick was a guest at a special ADM event in the university’s TV studio. Speaking to future media managers and technicians, Master’s students in Media Management and Technology, and other interested students, he provided an insight into the workings of Germany’s most successful football club. Specifically, he answered the question of what students can learn from FC Bayern to help them in their future careers.

However, before Hörwick even began to talk about team-building for peak performance, the twelve leadership rules of Champions League and Bundesliga-winning manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, and the importance of defeats for a team’s development, the experienced media professional first paid a compliment to the host: He said he was “deeply impressed” by the facilities at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. “I come from Germany’s number one media city, Munich. But I know of few studios that are as well-equipped or as well-prepared for this size of audience as this one. My utmost compliments.”

Hörwick drew on these opportunities in his talk. Over a period of 35 years, he had built up FC Bayern’s media operations – from a press office into a globally active sports organisation with a highly professional media production department. He explained to the future (media) leaders at HSMW how to build successful teams and what principles must be observed to achieve peak performance. However, he did not refer to himself in the process. Instead, he explained to the students which managers at FC Bayern had been successful and why – and what the reasons were for others’ failures.