Philipp Westermeyer

For Karsten Wildberger, the Hamburg Messe is already familiar territory. In 2024, as the then-CEO of Ceconomy (MediaMarktSaturn, now majority-owned by JD.com), he took to the Blue Stage to discuss the future of electronics retail, the impact of technology on people's lives—and how air fryers became one of the omnichannel player’s top sellers. His appointment as Digital Minister—or more accurately, the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and State Modernization—was one of the major surprises during the announcement of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet. Wildberger is not only the first Digital Minister in the history of the Federal Republic but also the person tasked with designing and building an entirely new ministry from the ground up amidst rapid technological change—all while simultaneously spearheading the modernization of the state. Karsten Wildberger will take the OMR stage on May 5 to reveal the current state of government digital competence and how he plans to make Germany future-ready.

In 1989, at the age of 19, Christian Sewing began his journey at Deutsche Bank. Back then, a two-year apprenticeship as a bank clerk in Bielefeld laid the foundation for an impressive career and his rise to becoming one of the most important voices in the financial industry. Sewing has been a member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank since 2015 and its Chairman since 2018. Since July 2021, he has also served as President of the Association of German Banks, and from March 2023 to February 2025, he was President of the European Banking Federation. The past few years have gone remarkably well for Germany’s largest financial institution—including 2025. After the first nine months of the year, Deutsche Bank reported record results. Unsurprisingly, the ambition does not stop there. In November 2025, Christian Sewing announced Deutsche Bank's new strategy, aimed at closing the gap with European competitors: a focus on the most profitable business lines, strengthening the global network, and expanding market leadership in Germany. By 2028, returns are targeted to rise to over 13 percent. Christian Sewing will share insights into this plan at the OMR Festival 2026 in Hamburg.

In pretty much every sport, there's the debate about the GOAT, the "Greatest of All Time." In football, however, it's hardly a discussion. And there's a simple reason for that: Tom Brady. The former quarterback won the Super Bowl, the championship title of the U.S. NFL, a total of seven times—more than any single franchise in the league. For several weeks now, a life-sized bronze statue has stood in his honor in front of the New England Patriots' stadium, where he won six of his seven titles. A football helmet in one hand, the other raised in a celebratory fist. This is likely how fans most loved to see him. In 2022, the most victorious player in NFL history ended his active career as a professional athlete with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, he has continued on the entrepreneurial path he embarked on years ago. With his health and wellness brand TB12 (standing for Tom Brady and his long-time jersey number 12), he built a business model in 2015 based on what always distinguished him as a player: an absolute focus on performance and health through supplements and nutritional tips. The next major step followed in early 2024. TB12 merged with his fashion brand, "Brady Brand," and the sportswear company "NOBULL," under which the new company now operates. Tom Brady himself is the second-largest shareholder. In parallel, Brady has launched his own films and documentaries through his production companies "199 Productions" and "Religion of Sports", as well as partnerships with entities like ESPN and Disney. The docu-series "Man in the Arena" immediately earned a Sports Emmy. With “Shadow Lion,” Tom Brady also co-founded the digital creative studio that is suitable for all projects. And for years, he himself has been a fixture in international pop culture. The Simpsons, South Park, Ted 2, cover athlete for the "Madden NFL" video game—his personal brand is huge. And it remains so after more than two decades at the pinnacle of the football world. How does one achieve that? And how do you translate that personal, athletic success into sustainable business models beyond sports? Tom Brady will provide the answers in May on the Conference Stage at OMR Festival 2026.