JenaKultur management team complete again

Following the departure of Jonas Zipf last year, the management of JenaKultur will finally be complete again at the start of October. Friedrun Vollmer and Carsten Müller form the new dual leadership of the company. After five years in Münster, Friedrun Vollmer is now returning to Jena, where she successfully managed the local music and art school from 2006 to 2018.

Management tasks redistributed

In future, the dual leadership will take charge of the fate of the in-house operation together with the commercial director / deputy plant manager Jana Gründig. There will be a new division of management in the increasingly complex company:

Friedrun Vollmer will be responsible for the strategic development and management of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the large area of cultural education, which includes the Ernst Abbe Library, the Jena Municipal Museums including the art collection, the Jena Adult Education Center and, last but not least, the Jena Music and Art School. In addition, she will play a key role in the cultural policy development processes of the city of Jena and coordinate them in consultation with the Head of Cultural Affairs.

Carsten Müller is responsible for the central management of JenaKultur and its almost 300 employees. In this role, he is responsible for digitalization, personnel and organizational development, marketing, corporate communications and the strategic direction of the event management and tourism/convention divisions.

The commercial director, Jana Gründig, is responsible for the financial, tax, legal and insurance matters of the company as deputy plant manager. She will also be responsible for the areas of cultural promotion and third-party funding acquisition.

Lord Mayor acknowledges challenges mastered

Lord Mayor and Head of the Department of Culture Dr. Thomas Nitzsche: "The management of our in-house operation JenaKultur has recently rested on just two pairs of shoulders instead of three. Carsten Müller and Jana Gründig have done a fantastic job in extremely challenging times, and often to the limit. My heartfelt thanks and great respect go to them and to all colleagues at JenaKultur. With Friedrun Vollmer, the management team is now complete again. Until 2018, she already managed the music and art school in Jena excellently. Now she brings additional experience from Münster. I am extremely pleased to know that the management team is very well positioned for the upcoming and future tasks with her in a well-harmonized team of three."

The first task with this concentrated (wo)manpower will be to amend the cultural concept for Jena and adapt it to the new post-pandemic circumstances. In the same context, the new subsidy agreement for JenaKultur must also be thoroughly prepared. The aim of this is to ensure that Jena's own organization has a solid financial basis for the period from 2025 to 2028 so that it can focus on other important strategic issues: To name one example, the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra needs a permanent rehearsal venue. The concept for Jena's municipal museums must also be implemented, which is to be adopted at the beginning of the first quarter of 2024. In addition, many other concept processes are still ongoing, with a focus on the necessary internal and institution-related digitalization requirements.

New personnel constellation for a more complex structure

Friedrun Vollmer: "I am looking forward to the new task in this strong personnel constellation. We will work in partnership to ensure that all of our divisions and facilities are able to focus on their core business and thus position themselves wisely for the challenges of the future."

Carsten Müller: "The work at JenaKultur has been characterized by many change processes in the last few turbulent years, which we have been able to manage thanks to our dedicated employees. The complexity of the organization's structure and management has increased significantly. Against this backdrop, I look forward to Friedrun Vollmer's experience and expertise complementing us in the new JenaKultur management structure."

Jana Gründig: "The last few years have been very challenging for JenaKultur in many respects. The in-house operation always requires a well-considered budgetary policy in order to ensure the quality of the offerings and to give them a new profile. The forthcoming comprehensive issues, especially with regard to the upcoming subsidy agreement, require the full strength of the management. I am therefore delighted about the completion of the plant management team and look forward to the support and expertise of Friedrun Vollmer."

Carsten Müller und Friedrun Vollmer bilden die neue Doppelspitze von JenaKultur.