“You have to win over your counterpart. For yourself and for your message. You can’t control them.”

This was the motto behind Stefan Skrzipietz’s work. “The job of a PR man isn’t something you just do. You ‘live’ the job,” of this he is quite certain. When asked if the more “personal” dimension, the keeping in touch with journalists, has changed over the years, he answers: “For those who do their job with passion and dedication, the interest in exchange and personal contact never wanes.”

The interpersonal aspect, the personal exchange between publisher, PR agency and client is certainly one of the aspects that distinguishes press work from other marketing disciplines. And Stefan Skrzipietz exemplified this way of working and, together with the content team, built up a network over the years that will continue to pay off for the Ruess Group for a long time to come.

In the past, the personal notebook, the annual journalist contact book, which is several hundred pages thick, and a telephone were sufficient for successful placement. Today, public relations is supported by digital research tools for contacts and topics, and the editor communicates with his stakeholders via newsroom and Twitter. The number of communication channels is constantly growing and new text formats are needed. At the same time, the classic fields of public relations and advertising are changing, merging with the digital unit to form the large playing field of content marketing. Nevertheless, public relations work continues to “humanise” and PR maintains its long-term mission to achieve awareness and visibility for companies and brands.

Within the editorial structure of an agency, editors such as Stefan Skrzipietz, who are dedicated to media relations, are also important as the interface between client, editorial staff and media department. They know the top media and know which stories the editors want. For Stefan Skrzipietz, everyday agency life always brought a lot of variety. He loved the diversity of topics with his different clients and industries. He stood out with his interest in people and an unconditional will to get every topic into all media.

from the bottom of our hearts, we wish you a beautiful and exciting retirement with your family! We thank you for your loyalty, your commitment, your support and your honesty over the years.

When asked what drove you for 40 years, every day, you answered: “The right mindset and confidence in your own person are what can positively influence the day. Think positive.” There isn’t much we can add to that – so keep positive, stay healthy and active, and make sure to visit us from time to time! Your team.