Change only happens by playing with the issues – and believing that it can work.
Thomas Heidelbach has been building companies, brands and teams since the 1980s – from start-ups to European agency networks. He brings ideas to life and brings people together. His driving forces: curiosity, impact and the firm belief that anything is possible.
Over the years, I have distilled five simple principles that guide me. It’s not rocket science. They are pure, practical application.
Firstly: curiosity
I’ll jump in. I want to recognise the patterns behind the chaos. I want to understand what is really happening – not just what people believe or tell me.
Secondly: team spirit
No one builds functioning systems alone. Ich brauche Menschen, die Verantwortung wollen, klar kommunizieren und schnell umsetzen.
Thirdly: Usefulness
A solution only has value if it also has an impact: in everyday life, in the market and on the people who use it.
Fourth: Sustainability
I don’t plan for quick results, I plan for continuity. Every project must be self-financing.
Fifth: Revenue
For me, return on investment is not a goal in itself. It is feedback. It is the incorruptible indicator that shows us whether we are on the right track.
These five rules bring order to the game. And they are my compass when decisions become complex and difficult.
Entrepreneur.
Networker.
Enabler.
Milestones
1980: Founding of the first agency in Essen.
Acquisition of major clients (including Schossau, Kutel, Federal SPD).
1986–1993: Expansion of the agency in Essen and opening of the Munich branch in 1989 following the commission to handle all advertising activities for Buchwerbung der Neun and Generali Garantie-Versicherungen in Munich and Vienna.
1994–2000: Expansion of NHS into a European network with around 650 employees at 16 locations.
Shareholdings:
- thyssenkrupp (> 30 %)
- Infoscreen (> 35 %)
Further activities:
- Expansion of Topkapi (event agency, approx. 30 employees) and a trade fair construction company in Ratingen (approx. 150 employees)
- Publishers: A4, Nordis
- Modea by Prince-Nature, Denmark (travel agencies in Hamburg, Kirkenes, Murmansk, etc.)
- Acquisition of 49% stake in a packaging printing company in Romania (approx. 500 employees)
Early 2000s: Founding of Q.One
- Development of Lufthansa’s ‘Flugmeile’ (predecessor to Miles & More)
- Focus on loyalty programmes (Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn, Payback)
- Burda Publishing as a key customer
2000s: Entry into e-commerce and platform trading (eBay/Amazon) with own brands;
Exit of the watch brand ‘Swiss Master’.
From 2010: Logo Group: Aftermarket parts for classic cars (Porsche, VW).
2012–2020: CloudBasket: Development of a central shopping basket across multiple online shops.
Since 2021: Founding of Q.Two. Continuation of loyalty programmes and development of an HR fine app and ordering and orientation apps for clinics.
Today: Working as a management consultant, including the design of a global marketplace system (Next Venture).
NHS AG
Thomas started early. Immediately after graduating from secondary school, he founded his first advertising agency in Essen with Oliver Leisse in 1980.
Even while still studying, the team won major clients, including Schossau (Duisburg/Essen), Kutel (Essen) and the German Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Oliver left in 1986; Dieter Sawatzki (Folkwang School) joined the company, and shortly afterwards Heike Schröder joined as managing director, further strengthening the team. Oliver moved to Springer & Jakobi in Hamburg as managing director.
Over the next 14 years, this constellation developed into NHS, a European agency network that had around 650 employees at 36 locations by the year 2000. NHS was a merger of two of the largest agencies in Essen:
Nordis with Jürgen Schüring and Ulrich Kreuzenbeck, and Heidelbach, Sawatzki & Partner with the three partners Thomas, Dieter and Heike.
The steel group thyssenkrupp held a stake of over 30%; at the same time, the agency held more than 35% of the company Infoscreen. The group also included the event agency Topkapi (approx. 30 employees) and the trade fair construction company Estarte AG in Ratingen (approx. 150 employees).
Publishing companies
In addition, Thomas established publishing activities (A4 Verlag, Nordis Zeitschriften Verlag) and Modea as an incoming tour operator for Red Prince Nature (Copenhagen) – with travel agencies in Hamburg, Kirkenes and Murmansk. He also held a 49% stake in a Romanian packaging printing company with around 500 employees.
Q.One
eCommerce
At the same time, Thomas established e-commerce on the then-new platforms eBay and Amazon, including after an exit at Maxtrader (Essen). He imported watches, flooring, lamps and toys and scaled these via his own brands.
One highlight was the sale of the Swiss Master watch brand – a brand with the rare privilege of using ‘Swiss’ in its name. Only a few brands worldwide are permitted to use ‘Swiss’ in their name. After Swiss Master was registered, Switzerland significantly restricted this option again through regulation, meaning that such a name would no longer be approved in this form today. The watches were successfully sold in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Back in 2010, Thomas teamed up with Frank Rogowski to establish the Logo Group, an aftermarket business for classic car spare parts (focusing on Porsche and VW).
Since 2022, he has been developing an HR fine app and ordering and orientation solutions for hospitals, among other things.
CloudBasket
The next platform innovation followed in 2016: Cloudbasket – a central shopping basket that combines purchases from different shops and checks them out centrally.
Under the motto ‘Chips are the new coal in the Ruhr region – the Digital Factory’, Q.One worked on a solution that enables buyers worldwide to bundle products from different shops in a central shopping basket in their respective languages and then complete the purchase in all shops with a single click – right where the coal mines used to be and black gold was mined.
The main investor was Ludwig Fresenius, together with Michael Hochgürtel; together with Thomas and Carsten, they were shareholders in Q.One.
The exit came in 2020. At that time, the agency had around 60 employees in the north of Essen.
Trade fairs
One of his most successful exits in the 1990s was the youth fair ‘YOU’. The idea and basic concept originated at Heidelbach & Partner, an agency that, among other things, had a strong focus on youth marketing.
The aim was to create a separate trade fair for young people – ‘YOU’, the trade fair for young people. In addition to concerts and live acts, products and brands tailored to the young target group were specifically presented there.
The trade fair started in Dortmund and was very successful from day one. Experienced trade fair designer and FIBO founder Volker Ebener later bought the concept and rolled it out across Europe – laying the foundation for one of the biggest exits of that period.
Why Thomas?
Today, Thomas is working on a novel marketplace – with the aim of fundamentally simplifying the sale of goods via trading platforms worldwide.
Why Thomas?
Skills & Competencies
Execution with receipt
Real network
Extensive contacts in digital, retail, industry and publishing (including Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn, Payback, Burda). He brings people together and gets projects off the ground.
Systems that simplify transactions (e.g. central shopping basket across shop boundaries).
Team player
Attitude & Sustainability
Ideas must solve problems and be sustainable – economically viable and socially acceptable.
Working methods & mindset
Curiosity → Implementation
People & Partners
Art without pretension
Motto
Documents & figures
(selection)
~ 650 employees / 36 locations (NHS around 2000)
>30% stake in the agency held by thyssenkrupp
>35% stake in Infoscreen held by the agency
Topkapi Event Agency (~30 employees)
Exhibition stand construction in Ratingen (~150 employees)
49% stake in packaging printing company in Romania (~500 employees)
Cloudbasket Exit 2020, agency ~60 employees (Essen)