LinkedIn expands German presence
Munich, Germany — 26th August, 2011 — LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 120 million members worldwide, today announced the opening of its first office in Germany. The new Munich office will provide support for the company’s growing membership of more than two million professionals across the German-speaking markets.
LinkedIn also announced the appointment of Kai Deininger in the newly-created position of commercial director, LinkedIn Germany. He will lead the efforts to increase awareness and adoption of LinkedIn, with a focus on member engagement, strategic partnerships, marketing, sales and general operations.
Deininger joins LinkedIn with significant leadership experience in the technology and recruitment sectors. He worked for Monster in Germany as managing director and for online global marketplace MFG.com as general manager, Europe. His experience also includes roles with HP/Compaq and Wideyes (Jobline International), where he managed European start-up operations for the recruitment software specialist.
Ariel Eckstein, managing director of LinkedIn EMEA, said, “One of the drivers behind Germany’s recovery following the debt crisis was its strong export focus, with 71 percent of German SMBs exporting goods or services abroad. LinkedIn’s 120 million members worldwide, including more than 26 million members in Europe and fast-growing member bases in emerging markets such as Brazil and India, provide a great opportunity for German professionals to reinforce existing relationships and establish new connections with the international business community.”
LinkedIn has a freemium business model that enables members to easily establish their online professional identity, connect with their network of trusted contacts, gain access to business insights and expertise, make recommendations, follow and find information on companies, participate in discussions and industry groups, exchange references, and track and share news, all at no charge.
As the largest economy in Europe, the second largest global trading economy and a country very adept at social and professional networking, Germany represents an important market for LinkedIn.
Eckstein continued, “The opening of our first office and the establishment of a local team is a great first step in the expansion of our presence in Germany. Kai brings specific sector skills, covering recruitment and online services backed by an intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the German marketplace, which will serve us well as we continue to grow.”
Since the launch of a German-language version in 2009, LinkedIn has seen a growing community of members; German membership is currently composed of a high percentage of managers or above (80 percent) from sectors including services, technology and manufacturing.
Recent research suggests that 40 percent of German employers are experiencing increasing difficulty filling jobs1 , the highest in the EU5 (UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy); while German Web users continue to be under-represented on recruitment and job sites compared to other European countries2.
LinkedIn is focused on providing talent at scale. Through its hiring solutions business it offers recruiters access to professionals who are actively looking for jobs, but also those passive candidates who may not be. Using LinkedIn companies can find the best talent more quickly and for lower cost than if they relied on traditional recruitment tools.
This latest expansion follows the opening of LinkedIn’s French office in Paris in March and Nordic office in Stockholm, Sweden in May, and brings the number of LinkedIn offices in Europe up to six, including London, Dublin and Amsterdam.
1 Source: http://us.manpower.com/us/en/multimedia/2011-Talent-Shortage-Survey.pdf
2 Source: ComScore MediaMetrix
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Notes to editors
Marketing Solutions LinkedIn has worked with IQ Digital as its media sales partner since 2009. Local marketing and advertising clients will continue to work with IQ Digital and this successful partnership with LinkedIn is ongoing.
Top five companies currently represented in Germany:
• SAP
• Siemens
• IBM
• HP
• BMW
Top three industries in Germany by LinkedIn members:
• Services
• Technology
• Manufacturing
About LinkedIn
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. With more than 120 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the Internet. The company has a diversified business model with revenue coming from member subscriptions, marketing solutions and hiring solutions. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn also has offices across North America, as well as throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.