Young Leaders Alumni Day 2025

Following the traditional German-American Conference, the Atlantik-Brücke, together with its sister organization the American Council on Germany, hosted the second edition of the Young Leaders Alumni Day. After a successful launch of our new series in Hamburg last fall, this year’s program took our alumni on an insightful journey through Berlin – offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access and engaging discussions.

The day began with a private tour of Deutsche Bahn’s ICE Maintenance Facility in Berlin-Rummelsburg, a key operational hub in the company’s high-speed railway system. We explored current transformations in mobility and discussed the future of rail transport in Germany, before heading into the maintenance hall for a unique look at day-to-day operations.

Next, the group visited the economic think tank Dezernat Zukunft – Institute for Macrofinance. Our Young Leader Alumnus Max Krahé, Co-Founder & Research Director, and Florian Schuster-Johnson, Head of the Growth & Budget Lab, introduced us to their innovative work here in Berlin and led a thought-provoking discussion on the future of Germany’s economy.

We concluded the day at Axel Springer SE with insights into the company’s digital strategy and a tour of the BILDnewsroom – still Germany’s largest daily newspaper. The evening culminated in a wonderful dinner and stunning views from the exclusive Journalisten-Club in the heart of city, offering alumni the chance to reconnect and deepen transatlantic ties across industries and generations.