Heimtextil - Bed & More -

bed+more 2005: Speakers

Dr. David Bosshart
has been chief executive officer (CEO) since 1999 of the Swiss think tank, the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) in Rüschlikon, Zurich, Switzerland. After a retail training and a degree in philosophy and politics, he initially worked as a consultant for the communication and retail industries and as a researcher in various academic institutes. He is regarded as one of the leading trend researchers in Europe and is the author of a large number of specialist articles and books. (www.gdi.ch)

Frank De Bock
is the chairman of the management board of the water-bed manufacturer The Sleeping Society – Bodytone brand - in Boom, Belgium. After taking a degree in constructional engineering and working in the building industry, in 1987 he discovered water beds in America. After running an import and wholesale business, initially as an ancillary job, in 1990 he founded his present company, which follows its own philosophy in the production and marketing of water beds. (www.bodytone.be)

Peter Döhle
is a freelance business consultant and an expert in strategy, product development, sales and marketing in the bedding market working out of Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. He consults and implements projects for suppliers, manufacturers, purchasing associations and the trade sector. After his studies of business and management economics, he began his career in the bedding industry as marketing and franchise manager at Thomas-Lattoflex before settling as freelancer in the year 1989. During this period, he also worked as non-permanent sales manager in the industry (www.doehle-inclusiv.de).

Michael Dörr
is divisional manager of frolexus-Bettsysteme at FROLI Kunststoffwerke GmbH in Schloss Holte Stukenbrock - which, alongside other technical plastics products, develops, produces and markets innovative sleeping systems with suspended surfaces. After taking Commercial Certificate, he previously had various posts in the office-furniture and bed industry, including head of the retail bed and furniture division of Tempur Deutschland. (www.froli.com)

Margret Fromme-Ruthmann
is managing director, together with her husband Reinhard Ruthmann, of FROLI Kunststoffwerke Fromme GmbH in Schloss Holte Stukenbrock. After taking Industrial Certificate and degrees in industrial economics in Germany and the USA, she joined the family firm, which develops, produces and markets technical plastic products for various industries - and, since 1993, innovative bed systems. (www.froli.com)

Birgit Gärtner
has since 2002 been managing partner at Porta Möbel GmbH in Porta Westfalica, one of Germany’s very big chain furniture stores, where she is head of product purchasing across the range, including home textiles, boutique goods, lights and carpets. She is also chairwoman of the of the home-tech committee of Begros, the furniture-purchasing association. After School Certificate, commercial training and further university study, in 1993 she joined Porta Möbel, a family firm co-founded by her father. (www.porta.de)

Dr. Stephanie Gerdes
has been with ebay since 2003 and head of consumer categories, senior manager, since 2005. This division
includes Furniture & Home and Health & Beauty. After taking a degree in industrial economics, she previously worked for five years as a consultant and project manager with McKinsey & Co., specialising in companies in the consumer-goods and telecommunications industries. (www.ebay.de)

Franz Hampel
has been chairman since 2002 of the management board of Garant-Möbel-Holding AG, Rehda-Wiedenbrück, and managing director of the international member companies of the Garant-Möbel Group. After taking his Commercial Certificate in the wholesale and export furniture trade, and working as a furniture trader and representative, his association with the Garant-Möbel Group started in 1975 as a representative, until he was made group managing director in 1993 and a member of the board of management in 2000. (www.garant-moebel-gruppe.de)

Dirk Hecking
is senior consultant for retail, consumer affairs and consumer goods at BBE Unternehmensberatung GmbH, Cologne. A graduate in industrial economics, he has many years’ experience in advising various retail and service industries and gives many lectures and seminars. He has also had managerial experience in a well-known German affiliate group. (www.bbeberatung.com)

Christiane Hippel
is managing director of Ruhe & Raum Möbelvertrieb GmbH in Münster-Sarmsheim and a specialist in innovative bedroom furniture. She is in charge of sales and, jointly with her co-managing director Willi Hubor, of advertising and marketing. She began in the furniture industry, after taking her School Certificate in 1983, when she worked independently on marketing futon beds. (www.ruhe-raum.de)

Aurel Hofmann
is General Manager of the important home-textile manufacturer, Tesatoriile Reunite S.A. in Bucharest, Romania. He joined the company in 1975 after studying electrical engineering and held the positions of engineer, maintenance manager and head of sales and purchasing before being appointed General Manager in 1994.

Willi Hubor
is managing director of Ruhe & Raum Möbelvertrieb GmbH in Münster-Sarmsheim and a specialist in innovative bedroom furniture. He is in charge of product design and, jointly with his co-managing director Christiane Hippel, for advertising and marketing. A graduate interior designer, he also runs a furniture shop in the Eifel, together with his brother Walter, selling high-quality products. (www.ruhe-raum.de)

Armin Pytlik
has for a number of years been sales director for Germany and Luxembourg of the Belgium water-bed manufacturer The Sleeping Society in Boom. Before that, he had a similar job at a competitor company. He is also engaged in basic academic research into water beds at the European Sleep Research Institute (ESRI) in Leuwen near Antwerp. (www.bodytone.be)

Walter Schäfer
has since 2002 been chief operations officer (COO) for sales, marketing and production at the fabric and bedware manufacturer Gebr. Sanders GmbH & Co. in Bramsche. His work focuses on new-product development, efficient consumer response and supply-chain management. He began his career as a product manager in the consumer-goods industry and subsequently had various executive posts in the textile industry. (www.sanders-of-germany.de)

Oliver Schmitz
is research manager for construction, installation and renovation at the German Consumer Research Society (GfK), Nuremberg. He has many years' experience in marketresearch projects in the furniture and furnishing industry, including a period as head of market research at the Neubert Group of Würzburg and Hirschaid. (www.gfk.com)

Professor Eckhard Schollmeyer
is managing director of the Deutsches Textilforschungszentrum Nord-West e.V. (DTNW), Krefeld, specialising in research on surface modification of polymer materials, e.g. using laser, plasma and nano technology. After taking degrees in textile engineering and in physics and physical chemistry, he worked for some years at the Universities of Regensburg and Stuttgart. After completing his postdoctoral research, he moved to the DTNW in 1980. (www.dtnw.de)

Kumud D. Schramm
is a BDY/EYU yoga teacher, a member of the management board for publicity in the Professional Association of Yoga Teachers in Germany (Berufsverband der Yogalehrenden in Deutschland e.V.), and has been running her own yoga and ayurveda school in Frankfurt am Main since 1986. She also works as a personal trainer and is a popular speaker, author and interviewee in many media. (www.aumhari.de)

Dr. Günter Schulz
has been in charge of development and new business for five years in the home-textiles division of the bedware manufacturer Gebr. Sanders GmbH&Co. KG in Bramsche. A chemical and process-technology engineer, he previously worked for 13 years at various textile companies in executive development jobs. He is a member of various textile-research institutions and the author of specialist publications. (www.sanders-of-germany.de)

Helmut Stauner
has been working since 1999 for MZE, the furniture-purchasing association, where since 2003 he has been director of sales, in charge of developing marketing concepts and providing service for affiliated businesses. Before that he worked for many years as managing director of numerous bedroom-furnishing retailers. He began in the furniture trade as divisional manager of sleep products and director of marketing at a furniture store. (www.mze.de)

Professor Jürgen Zulley
has been director of the Medical Centre for Sleep at the Regensburg University and District Hospital since 1993. With degrees in engineering and psychology, he is Professor of Biological Psychology, and has been working for more than 20 years on sleep research and chrono-biology. Among other activities, he is President of the German Academy of Health and Sleep (DAGS) and the author of numerous publications and books on his specialist subject. (www.schlafmedizin.de)

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		Frank De Bock is the chairman of the management board of the water-bed manufacturer The Sleeping Society – Bodytone brand - in Boom, Belgium. After taking a degree in constructional engineering and working in the building industry, in 1987 he discovered water beds in America. After running an import and wholesale business, initially as an ancillary job, in 1990 he founded his present company, which follows its own philosophy in the production and marketing of water beds. (www.bodytone.be)

		Peter Döhle is a freelance business consultant and an expert in strategy, product development, sales and marketing in the bedding market working out of Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. He consults and implements projects for suppliers, manufacturers, purchasing associations and the trade sector. After his studies of business and management economics, he began his career in the bedding industry as marketing and franchise manager at Thomas-Lattoflex before settling as freelancer in the year 1989. During this period, he also worked as non-permanent sales manager in the industry (www.doehle-inclusiv.de).

		Michael Dörr is divisional manager of frolexus-Bettsysteme at FROLI Kunststoffwerke GmbH in Schloss Holte Stukenbrock - which, alongside other technical plastics products, develops, produces and markets innovative sleeping systems with suspended surfaces. After taking Commercial Certificate, he previously had various posts in the office-furniture and bed industry, including head of the retail bed and furniture division of Tempur Deutschland. (www.froli.com)

		Margret Fromme-Ruthmann is managing director, together with her husband Reinhard Ruthmann, of FROLI Kunststoffwerke Fromme GmbH in Schloss Holte Stukenbrock. After taking Industrial Certificate and degrees in industrial economics in Germany and the USA, she joined the family firm, which develops, produces and markets technical plastic products for various industries - and, since 1993, innovative bed systems. (www.froli.com)

		Birgit Gärtner has since 2002 been managing partner at Porta Möbel GmbH in Porta Westfalica, one of Germany’s very big chain furniture stores, where she is head of product purchasing across the range, including home textiles, boutique goods, lights and carpets. She is also chairwoman of the of the home-tech committee of Begros, the furniture-purchasing association. After School Certificate, commercial training and further university study, in 1993 she joined Porta Möbel, a family firm co-founded by her father. (www.porta.de)

		Dr. Stephanie Gerdes has been with ebay since 2003 and head of consumer categories, senior manager, since 2005. This division includes Furniture & Home and Health & Beauty. After taking a degree in industrial economics, she previously worked for five years as a consultant and project manager with McKinsey & Co., specialising in companies in the consumer-goods and telecommunications industries. (www.ebay.de)

		Franz Hampel has been chairman since 2002 of the management board of Garant-Möbel-Holding AG, Rehda-Wiedenbrück, and managing director of the international member companies of the Garant-Möbel Group. After taking his Commercial Certificate in the wholesale and export furniture trade, and working as a furniture trader and representative, his association with the Garant-Möbel Group started in 1975 as a representative, until he was made group managing director in 1993 and a member of the board of management in 2000. (www.garant-moebel-gruppe.de)

		Dirk Hecking is senior consultant for retail, consumer affairs and consumer goods at BBE Unternehmensberatung GmbH, Cologne. A graduate in industrial economics, he has many years’ experience in advising various retail and service industries and gives many lectures and seminars. He has also had managerial experience in a well-known German affiliate group. (www.bbeberatung.com)

		Christiane Hippel is managing director of Ruhe & Raum Möbelvertrieb GmbH in Münster-Sarmsheim and a specialist in innovative bedroom furniture. She is in charge of sales and, jointly with her co-managing director Willi Hubor, of advertising and marketing. She began in the furniture industry, after taking her School Certificate in 1983, when she worked independently on marketing futon beds. (www.ruhe-raum.de)

		Aurel Hofmann is General Manager of the important home-textile manufacturer, Tesatoriile Reunite S.A. in Bucharest, Romania. He joined the company in 1975 after studying electrical engineering and held the positions of engineer, maintenance manager and head of sales and purchasing before being appointed General Manager in 1994.

		Willi Hubor is managing director of Ruhe & Raum Möbelvertrieb GmbH in Münster-Sarmsheim and a specialist in innovative bedroom furniture. He is in charge of product design and, jointly with his co-managing director Christiane Hippel, for advertising and marketing. A graduate interior designer, he also runs a furniture shop in the Eifel, together with his brother Walter, selling high-quality products. (www.ruhe-raum.de)

		Armin Pytlik has for a number of years been sales director for Germany and Luxembourg of the Belgium water-bed manufacturer The Sleeping Society in Boom. Before that, he had a similar job at a competitor company. He is also engaged in basic academic research into water beds at the European Sleep Research Institute (ESRI) in Leuwen near Antwerp. (www.bodytone.be)

		Walter Schäfer has since 2002 been chief operations officer (COO) for sales, marketing and production at the fabric and bedware manufacturer Gebr. Sanders GmbH & Co. in Bramsche. His work focuses on new-product development, efficient consumer response and supply-chain management. He began his career as a product manager in the consumer-goods industry and subsequently had various executive posts in the textile industry. (www.sanders-of-germany.de)

		Oliver Schmitz is research manager for construction, installation and renovation at the German Consumer Research Society (GfK), Nuremberg. He has many years' experience in marketresearch projects in the furniture and furnishing industry, including a period as head of market research at the Neubert Group of Würzburg and Hirschaid. (www.gfk.com)

		Professor Eckhard Schollmeyer is managing director of the Deutsches Textilforschungszentrum Nord-West e.V. (DTNW), Krefeld, specialising in research on surface modification of polymer materials, e.g. using laser, plasma and nano technology. After taking degrees in textile engineering and in physics and physical chemistry, he worked for some years at the Universities of Regensburg and Stuttgart. After completing his postdoctoral research, he moved to the DTNW in 1980. (www.dtnw.de)

		Kumud D. Schramm is a BDY/EYU yoga teacher, a member of the management board for publicity in the Professional Association of Yoga Teachers in Germany (Berufsverband der Yogalehrenden in Deutschland e.V.), and has been running her own yoga and ayurveda school in Frankfurt am Main since 1986. She also works as a personal trainer and is a popular speaker, author and interviewee in many media. (www.aumhari.de)

		Dr. Günter Schulz has been in charge of development and new business for five years in the home-textiles division of the bedware manufacturer Gebr. Sanders GmbH&Co. KG in Bramsche. A chemical and process-technology engineer, he previously worked for 13 years at various textile companies in executive development jobs. He is a member of various textile-research institutions and the author of specialist publications. (www.sanders-of-germany.de)

		Helmut Stauner has been working since 1999 for MZE, the furniture-purchasing association, where since 2003 he has been director of sales, in charge of developing marketing concepts and providing service for affiliated businesses. Before that he worked for many years as managing director of numerous bedroom-furnishing retailers. He began in the furniture trade as divisional manager of sleep products and director of marketing at a furniture store. (www.mze.de)

		Professor Jürgen Zulley has been director of the Medical Centre for Sleep at the Regensburg University and District Hospital since 1993. With degrees in engineering and psychology, he is Professor of Biological Psychology, and has been working for more than 20 years on sleep research and chrono-biology. Among other activities, he is President of the German Academy of Health and Sleep (DAGS) and the author of numerous publications and books on his specialist subject. (www.schlafmedizin.de)