Ursula F. Schmeling

Ursula F. Schmeling   Partner
Born 21 May 1951 in Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Harz (Germany)
Resident Wallbach AG  (Switherland)
Language skills: German, English, French, Spanish
Graduate of University College Dublin, Ireland
M.B.S. (Master of Business Studies - Marketing)

Professional Stages – main activities, successes or projects

After her primary and secondary education in Germany, leaving cert in South Africa and university studies in Ireland, finishing off with a Master in Business Studies majoring in Marketing, Ursula Schmeling worked for two years with the Irish manufacturer of electrical appliances AET, first as product, then due to her language skills as export manager. In 1975, she returned to Germany and took the position of Marketing Officer in the Australian Trade Commissioner Service in Bonn. She was reponsible for promoting Australian exports to Germany, writing market research studies, assisting exporters with their visits to customers and potential customers in Germany, organising business group trips, national stands at international fairs  in Germany and special export exhibitions.

In mid 1980 she moved to Hamburg and took a break in her career to look after her growing  family. From 1982 she worked as a freelance writer for well known German newspapers, business magazines, trade journals and book publications as well as for British trade publications, always focussing on economic issues, later on transport and logistics topics too. She also spent two years studying African languages and cultures as well as archeology.

From 1992 – 1998 Ursula Schmeling held the position Director Marketing & PR at Port of Hamburg Marketing, the official promotion organisation of the Hamburg port community. She was responsible for advertising and PR campaigns, regular liaison with the press, participation in exhibitions and other Hamburg promotion events worldwide, customer events aimed at forwarders and shipping companies. With her team she created a customer magazine which is still published today. Beside this she lectured at the Hamburg Port Training Institute in the framework of marketing courses for forwarders and port employees from all over the world.   

In 1999, she moved to Switzerland being offered the job of editor in chief of the well known international trade publication ITJ Logistics Worldwide. She relaunched the journal which was subsequently published in three separate language editions (German, English, French) and introduced an electronic newsletter as well as an e-version. She also succeeded in expanding the international readership and increasing the international standing of the magazine with major industry organisations such as Iata and Fiata. 2001 she was also appointed director and member of the supervisory board of the publishing company Rittmann AG. After its take-over by Colibri, later SwissProfessionalMedia AG, she was appointed managing editor of ITJ. In her ten years with the publication she was able to successfully extend and develop her already extensive contacts within the global transportation and logistics industry.

Effective October 1 she became a partner in the Swiss consultancy firm Meneghin & Partner. She leads the business unit PR + Media communication. supports the other partners in international executive search assignments and continues to work as a writer.