Ansgar Zerfass

Ansgar Zerfass is Professor and Chair in Strategic Communication at the Institute of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and Professor in Communication and Leadership at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway. With a distinguished career spanning academic and professional communication fields, he has established himself as a leading scholar in strategic communication, corporate communication, and public relations. His work bridges theory and practice through extensive research collaborations and leadership roles in major international communication studies.

Dr. Zerfass earned his Dipl.-Kfm. (equivalent to MBA) in Business Administration from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in 1990, followed by a Dr. rer. pol. (PhD) in Business Administration summa cum laude in 1995. He completed his Habilitation (second doctorate) in Communication Science at the same university in 2005. His academic journey includes significant industry experience, having worked for 10 years in corporate communications and political consulting, including an executive position at MFG Baden-Württemberg.

Zerfass's research focuses on strategic communication, corporate communication, digital transformation, communication evaluation, and communication management. His work examines how organizations can optimize their communication functions to create value, navigate digital transformation, and maintain ethical standards in an increasingly complex media environment. He has pioneered research on communication business models, communication maturity, and the role of communication in agile organizations.

His extensive publication record reveals a consistent focus on bridging theory and practice in communication management. His recent work explores the impact of digitalization and AI on communication departments, stress resilience among communication professionals, and the evolving business models for communication functions. His research demonstrates increasing attention to digital transformation challenges while maintaining core interests in communication evaluation, strategic alignment, and organizational integration of communication functions.

• Multiple Top Paper Awards at EUPRERA Annual Conferences (2012-2016)
• Koichi Yamamura International Strategic Communication Award (2014, 2016)
• Pathfinder Award from the Institute for Public Relations (2014)
• Impact Award from the Journal of Communication Management (2016)
• Albert-Oeckl-Prize from the German Public Relations Society (1995)
• PhD Award from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (1995)

As Editor of the International Journal of Strategic Communication and director of the European Communication Monitor (a 15+ year study spanning 40+ countries), Zerfass has significantly shaped communication research methodology and practice. He serves as Academic Advisor for the Corporate Communication Cluster Vienna and Plank Scholar at the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. His leadership extends to founding the Academic Society for Corporate Management and Communication, which connects over 35 global companies with academic institutions for knowledge transfer and research funding.

Zerfass leads several major research initiatives including the European Communication Monitor (since 2007), the Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor, and the multi-year research program Value Creating Communication. His work with these initiatives has established longitudinal datasets that track global trends in strategic communication practices, providing invaluable insights into the evolution of the field.