UFA is part of the PEOPLE & CULTURE FESTIVAL for the third time. In an interview with its CEO Sascha Schwingel, we talked about what makes the festival of tomorrow’s working world so important for the Babelsberg film company and how he experienced his first year as CEO of UFA.
Sascha, you and UFA are taking part in the PEOPLE & CULTURE FESTIVAL for the third time. What added value do you see as an exhibitor on site and what are you particularly looking forward to this year?
Our industry is developing rapidly. Creativity meets technology. Long-running program brands are asserting themselves in an increasingly fragmented video market. New content is emerging, as are new digital distribution channels. We don’t just want to follow this development, we want to actively shape it. To do this, we need important and often existing experience within our company as well as an outside perspective. In other words, talented people who can make us better in all areas of our company.
The PEOPLE & CULTURE FESTIVAL is therefore a very interesting event for us. We are delighted to have been involved right from the start and appreciate the diversity of the audience and the wide range of events on site, from which we ultimately also benefit.
The festival focuses on the hot topics affecting the world of work, education and training. These include, for example, developments around AI in the labor market, new needs-based job profiles and training paths, the shortage of skilled workers, transformation and sustainability. These are certainly topics that you are currently dealing with intensively, aren’t they? What influence do they have on you?
Each and every one of the aforementioned topics is of intense concern to us in various areas of our company, whether creative, technological or in our organization. It is part of our DNA to try out technological developments at an early stage or to actively counter the shortage of skilled workers, for example with our own UFA Academy. Each topic area is highly relevant to us in its own right. The topicality of the topics and their practical relevance make the festival so valuable.
You have been CEO at UFA for exactly one year. How has the first year gone for you? What were the highlights?
It was an exciting year in what is currently an incredibly turbulent market, right in the middle of the digital transformation. We successfully launched new series, shows and documentaries, including globally, and celebrated long-running UFA program brands. We have been able to attract new talent. At the same time, we are constantly reviewing our own organization to improve and ensure that we work efficiently while leaving enough room for new ideas. Certainly not an easy balancing act. Nevertheless, I am convinced that we can take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead of us: thanks to our broad positioning, but above all thanks to our team, which combines a high level of professionalism and many years of experience with great curiosity and a desire for new things.
Interview: Alexander Fuchs
Das PEOPLE & CULTURE FESTIVAL 2024 ist eine Veranstaltung des medianet berlinbrandenburg e.V. und wird gefördert durch die Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe.
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