The Euro50 Q&A – Adrian von Hammerstein, Kabel Deutschland

Germany’s KDG, under CEO Adrian von Hammerstein, last year launched VOD and undertook an aggressive network upgrade programme.

Age 58 years

Education BA in Economics, Princeton University; PhD in Economics, Harvard University.

Previous positions CEO, Siemens Business Services; CEO, Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

Last year’s highlights Launch of our new video-on-demand platform and continued rollout of DOCSIS 3.0 based superfast broadband services.

Most significant industry development In the German market, HDTV and digital video recorders finally gained traction in 2011.

Goals for next year Maintaining the growth momentum of our premium TV and broadband products.

Industry challenges and opportunities Keeping our customer propositions simple and our products and services easy and delightful to use.

Alternative career choice Information technology.

TV character most identified with None that comes to mind readily.

Most admired personality Chancellor Merkel, who has so far navigated with a steady hand in extremely difficult and uncharted waters.

Life outside work Hike, sail, or ski.