Our Success Story
What makes a company that has grown steadily for 25 years across consultancy, software and knowledge become truly successful? Above all – its people.
Our story began on 12 April 2001, when a small but dedicated team set out with a clear vision: to offer data protection and information security from a single source. Over the years, we expanded our expertise to include compliance and cyber security – and today, we also help our clients navigate the evolving requirements around the use of AI.
Our clients benefit from the combined knowledge of 120 legal experts, 25 information security experts, 9 developers, and many more talented colleagues who bring this expertise to life every day.
Years of experience
Employees
Clients
Locations
DSN GROUP’s Management Team
A strong, experienced management team has always been central to the DSN GROUP's success – shaped from the very beginning by a commitment to independent working and flat hierarchies.
The group's founding company, datenschutz nord GmbH, was originally established as a state-owned enterprise of the State of Bremen. In 2008, after seven years in business, Dr. Uwe Schläger, Dr. Sönke Maseberg, and Oliver Stutz led a management buy-out, marking the beginning of the group's journey as a privately owned organisation. As the group grew through privatisation, new companies were founded and the management team expanded steadily alongside them. Today, datenschutz nord GmbH is led by Oliver Stutz and Sven Venzke-Caprarese, while Dr. Sönke Maseberg serves as managing director of datenschutz cert GmbH and Dr. iur. Christian Borchers leads datenschutz süd GmbH.
The group's youngest subsidiaries – the FIRST PRIVACY companies – operate on the international stage, reflecting the DSN GROUP's continued ambition to grow beyond its German roots. FIRST PRIVACY GmbH is led by Peter Suhren, FIRST PRIVACY B.V. by Panagiota Vlachou and Cihan Parlar, and FIRST PRIVACY Austria GmbH by Markus Strasser.
DSN Holding GmbH, the group's parent company, is led by Britta Overbeck and Dr. Uwe Schläger.
Milestones: Our Companies and Locations
Over the past 25 years, the DSN GROUP has grown from a single company into a multi-location group with offices across Germany, as well as in Amsterdam and Salzburg. Explore the key milestones that have shaped our journey.
2001 | datenschutz nord GmbH
datenschutz nord GmbH was founded on 12 April 2001 in Bremerhaven as a state-owned enterprise of the State of Bremen. Following a management buy-out in 2008, the company relocated to Bremen's Überseestadt district in 2011.
2008 | datenschutz cert GmbH
datenschutz cert GmbH, founded on 1 July 2008, was the group's first subsidiary and remains an independent certification body. Under the leadership of managing director Dr. Sönke Maseberg – who has been with the company since its founding – datenschutz cert GmbH has grown to operate from two locations, with offices in both Bremen and Offenbach.
2009 | datenschutz süd GmbH
datenschutz süd GmbH was founded on 5 June 2009 in Würzburg with a clear focus: providing expert advice to clients across southern Germany. Under the leadership of Dr. iur. Christian Borchers, the company has grown significantly and today operates from four offices with a team of over 40 employees.
2014 | FIRST PRIVACY GmbH
Founded on 22 January 2014, FIRST PRIVACY GmbH is the group's fourth company, specialising in serving international businesses and corporate groups. Under the leadership of managing director Peter Suhren, the Bremen-based company has grown significantly – expanding to include offices in Amsterdam and Salzburg in the years that followed.
2015 | Berlin Office
On 1 January 2015, datenschutz nord GmbH opened its Berlin office, establishing a presence in the heart of the capital. Led by site manager Jan Thode, the team supports both businesses and public authorities in the region.
2016 | Cologne Office
On 1 February 2016, datenschutz süd GmbH opened its Cologne office. Led by Heike Wedekind, a team of ten legal experts provides expert advice to both businesses and public authorities across Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia.
2017 | DSN Holding GmbH
DSN Holding GmbH was founded in Bremen on 20 July 2017. The company serves as the administrative backbone of the DSN GROUP, handling accounting, human resources, IT, marketing, and organisation. It is led by Britta Overbeck and Dr. Uwe Schläger.
2018 | Hamburg Office
On 1 April 2018, datenschutz nord GmbH opened its Hamburg office, extending the group's reach into northern Germany. Led by site manager Jennifer Jähn-Nguyen, the team supports both businesses and public authorities across Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein.
2019 | Stuttgart Office
On 1 January 2019, datenschutz süd GmbH opened its Stuttgart office. Led by Christian Dugall, the team provides expert advice to businesses and organisations across Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg.
2019 | Offenbach Office
On 1 November 2019, datenschutz cert GmbH expanded its presence with the opening of a new office in Offenbach, also led by managing director Dr. Sönke Maseberg.
2019 | FIRST PRIVACY B.V.
Founded on 8 October 2019, FIRST PRIVACY B.V. is based in Amsterdam and serves a wide range of well-known companies across the Netherlands. The company is led by managing directors Panagiota Vlachou and Cihan Parlar.
2022 | Munich Office
On 1 January 2022, datenschutz süd GmbH opened a second Bavarian office in Munich, complementing its existing site in Würzburg. The Munich team is led by Annette Schwab.
2024 | Bielefeld Office
On 1 October 2024, datenschutz nord GmbH opened its Bielefeld office. Led by site manager Leonie Alicja Bültmann, the team advises both businesses and public authorities across Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Lower Saxony.
2025 | FIRST PRIVACY Austria GmbH
On 26 August 2025, the DSN GROUP expanded into Austria with the founding of FIRST PRIVACY Austria GmbH in Salzburg. The company is led by managing director Markus Strasser.
2026 | DSN Holding AG
DSN Holding AG is currently being established as a so-called 'small AG' – a non-listed public limited company. This structure gives DSN GROUP employees the opportunity to acquire a stake in the company and share in its financial success.
From Three to Over 200
When the group's first company was founded, it had a team of just three employees. Today, more than 200 people work for the DSN GROUP – across consultancy, software development, training, and administration.
For us, success is built on more than individual expertise. It is the result of cross-office collaboration and a shared commitment to delivering the best possible service to our clients.
