// As of April 1, 2019, Sebastian Wiese is the new managing partner at follow red
// In the future, Wiese will place greater emphasis on customer growth and new business
// Along with Ulrich Roth, Alex Leuker, and Niko Skarlatoudis, he is a member of the executive team at follow red
On April 1, Sebastian Wiese (41) joined follow red as managing partner. A native of Stuttgart, he brings over 20 years of agency and industry expertise to the table as the former managing director of Full Moon Group GmbH. Effective immediately, he will support the branding experience experts in client acquisition—with a focus on live events and B2C—as well as in new business development.
“I think Sebastian will have no trouble settling in with us quickly. After all, he’s a creative at heart,” says Ulrich Roth, founder and CEO of follow red, expressing his delight at Sebastian Wiese’s arrival, and adds: “We’re all also fortunate that he brings a wealth of fresh ideas, knowledge, and experience, which we hope will provide us with many forward-looking business opportunities.” After completing his vocational training and college, Sebastian Wiese quickly discovered his passion for live communication. As early as 2001, he co-founded the event and communications agency Full Moon Group GmbH with a partner and has successfully expanded the agency group ever since. In October 2018, he left Full Moon to realize his personal vision for the future of live communication. “Engaging consumers on a personal level is becoming increasingly important, both in the digital realm and in live settings. Our job is to create such memorable experiences between people and brands that they become ‘shareable moments,’” explains Sebastian Wiese. The key to this, he says, lies in emotionally told stories—or rather, the seamless integration of content management/PR, digital, and live initiatives. “The strong synergy between these three core competencies forms the backbone of follow red and is the reason why I made a conscious decision to join the company. This has also been the foundation for the agency’s recent project successes and new client acquisitions. That’s why I’m very much looking forward to actively helping shape this development as a new member of the team,” Wiese continues.
In recent months, follow red has invested a great deal of energy in future-oriented topics and in its market and customer focus, positioning itself to be more agile and effective as a result. This is exemplified by the acquisition of many new clients—particularly in the PR sector—as well as strong growth among existing clients. Accordingly, the management structure has now been adjusted. Drawing on his 17 years of experience in client management and project management, Niko Skarlatoudis will assume a dual role as COO and CFO, taking responsibility for all organizational and financial matters at the agency. He replaces Petra Schnitzler, who is stepping down. As a member of the executive board, Alex Leuker is responsible for key clients and will contribute his conceptual expertise—gained from the many award-winning campaigns he has helped shape—even more intensively than before. Following Andrea Vossen’s decision to leave follow red, Niko Skarlatoudis and Alex Leuker, together with founder Ulrich Roth and Sebastian Wiese, will form the new executive management team of follow red, which is headquartered in Stuttgart and Berlin.
