Dr Katrin Vernau © WDR/Annika Fußwinkel
The economist Dr. Katrin Vernau, born 1973 in Villingen-Schwenningen (Germany), was Administrative Director of Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) from 2015 to 2024. She has been President of WDR and Vice President of the ARTE General Assembly since 1 January 2025.
Dr. Katrin Vernau studied Economics at the University of St. Gallen and Columbia University. She completed her doctorate in Public Management at the University of Potsdam in 2001. She worked for ten years as a business consultant and was a partner at Roland Berger. She was also Chancellor and a member of the University Council of the Universities of Ulm and Hamburg. She took over as Acting President of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) for a year in 2022. Alongside her professional activities, she also holds honorary positions on the boards of various foundations and is Vice-Chair of the University Council of the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn.