Thursday, May 7, 2026

New leadership trio at rheingold as Jana Baum becomes CEO

The rheingold Institut has reshaped its leadership setup and introduced a C-level structure. Effective May 1, Jana Baum takes over as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She will form the new leadership trio together with Judith Barbolini as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Paul Bremer as Chief Sales Officer (CSO).

CEO appointment centered on transformation and business models

Baum brings leadership and transformation experience from roles spanning digital media, agency environments, and academia. Most recently, she worked as a strategic advisor, supporting organizations through transformation and repositioning projects, including work on business models, growth strategies, and the use of AI in products and processes.

Previously, she served as managing director in the German Economic Institute context, where she led the transformation of IW Medien GmbH. She also held a management role as Director Marketing & Communications at a subsidiary of Axel Springer. Her career started in the startup ecosystem.

Founder shifts focus to research and public engagement

Founder Stephan Grünewald plans to focus more strongly on research, speaking engagements, and public communications going forward. Operational and strategic development will be led by the newly established executive trio.

How responsibilities are split

• Jana Baum (CEO) is tasked with developing growth areas and business models, strengthening the institute’s role in translating depth-psychology insights into brand and corporate strategy work, expanding collaboration with the strategy joint venture Sweet Spot, and advancing AI-enabled business models.
• Judith Barbolini (COO) leads operations. She is associated with the institute’s international research and innovation work and has played a key role in developing the rheingold Avatar Suite. Her background includes international market and cultural research across more than 30 countries.
• Paul Bremer (CSO) is expected to open additional routes to customers and topics, consolidate the institute’s insights more strongly, and represent rheingold in the market with clearly positioned themes. The psychologist has held leadership roles at rheingold for many years, with national and international research experience, including FMCG, beverages, and social and political research.

Strategic direction emphasizes innovation and AI

With the new C-level structure, rheingold aims to combine operational strength with a stronger innovation agenda. A key focus is the further development of AI-supported offerings and applying psychological insights to market and future-facing topics.