Prof. Harald Christ Named New VBKI President

General Assembly Elects Prof. Harald Christ to Succeed Markus Voigt as Head of the Association

Text Sebastian Thomas | Head of Communications and Marketing

The VBKI has a new president: On Thursday evening at the Hotel Bristol on Kurfürstendamm, the association’s members elected entrepreneur and investor Prof. Harald Christ as the new president of the VBKI by an overwhelming majority.

“I would like to thank the members for their great trust. For 147 years, the VBKI has been a strong and independent voice for Berlin’s business community. We want to further strengthen this role while also building new bridges—between established companies and startups, between generations, industries, and social groups,” said Prof. Harald Christ to the approximately 220 members in attendance. In total, thanks to the option to transfer voting rights, more than 800 votes were represented at the general meeting—a strong sign of unity.

Christ succeeds Markus Voigt, who is handing over the presidency to his successor after 15 years and had already announced two years ago that he would not run for reelection in 2026.

The previous executive committee, running alongside Harald Christ, stood for election and was re-elected by the members. The only new face on the executive committee is Dr. Harald Hasselmann. The CEO of Eckert und Ziegler, a Berlin-based specialist in radiation and medical technology, succeeds Kilian Jay v. Seldeneck, who will continue to serve on the executive committee in a guest capacity.

In his campaign speech, Christ had emphasized that Berlin possesses extraordinary economic and scientific potential but must make more consistent use of it. In the future, the VBKI should serve even more strongly as a platform for exchange, innovation, and social engagement. At the same time, he announced plans to open the association up more broadly to the city as a whole, attract more young people and women to the VBKI, and make the voice of Berlin’s business community more visible in the federal political arena in Berlin.

Much of the general meeting was devoted to bidding farewell to Markus Voigt. In numerous remarks, members paid tribute to his volunteer work and his contributions to the association. Many speakers emphasized that Voigt had played a decisive role in shaping the VBKI over the past decade and a half and had led it to new heights.

Under Voigt’s presidency, the VBKI developed into one of the capital’s most influential business networks. Membership grew from around 800 to more than 2,350 today. At the same time, the association gained significant political and social clout and established itself as a recognized partner for dialogue with policymakers, government officials, and the public. Through numerous initiatives and projects in the areas of education, culture, sports, and social engagement, the association has provided important impetus for Berlin. The five editions of the VBKI Auction Gala held to date alone have raised approximately 3.2 million euros for charitable causes.

Another of the defining projects of his tenure is the construction of the new VBKI building on Bleibtreustraße. The association’s building will be completed by the end of the year and will serve as a central hub for gatherings, dialogue, and community engagement.

In his farewell speech, Markus Voigt took stock of his tenure. He said he was handing over to his successor a strong, vibrant, and exceptionally well-positioned association. The VBKI, he noted, is more visible today than ever before and is recognized as an important voice for Berlin’s business community. He expressed special thanks to the members, the numerous volunteers, the association’s partners, his colleagues on the Executive Board, and the staff at the office. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Executive Committee appointed Markus Voigt as Honorary President for life.