Professor Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister, Head of the Department of Information Systems and Director at the Scientific Center for Information Technology Design (ITeG) at the University of Kassel, will take over the chairmanship of the Scientific Commission for Information Systems (WKWI) in the Association of University Professors of Business Administration (VHB) for two years from July 1, 2017. The Scientific Commission for Information Systems (WKWI) represents the interests of members within the VHB who are involved in research and teaching in the field of information systems. It is the largest scientific commission within the VHB. The Verband der Hochschullehrer für Betriebswirtschaftslehre (VHB) is made up of over 2,200 members who are academically active in the field of business administration, in particular habilitated university professors. It sees itself as an association of German-speaking university professors of business administration. Most members come from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but many members also work in other European and non-European countries such as Australia, Japan, Korea, the USA and Canada.

Leimeister has already been active in the Scientific Commission for Information Systems (WKWI) and succeeds Prof. Dr. Christine Legner from the University of Lausanne as Chairman. The WKWI's work focuses on organizing conferences, making recommendations on curricula, promoting young academics, initiating research projects and representing interests in politics, the DFG and other academic commissions and organizations. After Professor Leimeister recently served together with Prof. Dr. Walter Brenner as Conference Chair of the Information Systems (WI) conference from February 12-15, 2017 in St. Gallen, the largest conference of its kind in the German-speaking world, he will take on another responsible position within the WI community from July 1, 2017.

Professor Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister studied (Dipl. oec.) and completed his doctorate (Dr. oec.) at the University of Hohenheim (Stuttgart) and habilitated at the Technical University of Munich. Research stays have taken him to the University of Maryland, Columbia University, University of Queensland, University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University. His research focuses on digital business, digital transformation, service research, crowdsourcing, digital work, collaboration engineering and IT innovation management. He teaches in various executive education programs on these topics. He has received several international awards for his research and teaching achievements, including the TUM Research Excellence Award in 2010. The Handelsblatt has regularly listed him among the top 1% of the strongest German-speaking business administration professors in terms of research since its 2009 research ranking.