Christiane Breustedt, graduated in graphic design, used to work in advertising, in a photo studio, on the cover section of SPIEGEL, as picture editor at GEO, in the New York offices of STERN, as Director of Photography at GEO, as Editor-in-Chief for GEO SAISON and as Editor-in-Chief at GEO International. Peter-Matthias Gaede studied social sciences at the University of Göttingen, is a graduate of the Henri-Nannen School of Journalism, editor of Frankfurter Rundschau. Worked at GEO from 1983 to 2014, first as journalist, then senior journalist, followed by 20 years as Editor-in-Chief. Currently consultant to the Board of Gruner + Jahr. 1981: Theodor Wolff incentive award sponsored by German newspapers. 1985: Egon Erwin Kisch Prize. 1988: 1st Prize of the Journalism Award in Development Policy. Memberships include the German Committee of UNICEF, the board of trustees of Reporters without Borders, and that of the Körber Foundation.

Jürgen Heraeus studied business administration at the University of Munich and completed his doctorate in 1963. Head of the Executive Board of Heraeus Holding GmbH, from January 2000 Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Chairman of the Shareholder Committee of Heraeus Holding GmbH. Since 2008 he has been active as Chairman of the German Committee of UNICEF. In 2014 he took up the Chair of the Advisory Board charged with restructuring the ADAC.