“Wealth advising” sounds dusty and conservative? – Not at Deutsche Vermögensberatung! The DVAG IT and the educational management of DVAG (DAV) rely on modern online learning and two different approaches to blended learning. In the interview, Gabriele Feist (DVAG IT) and Matthias Spiegel (DAV) explain both approaches – and how the training and education of wealth advisors is supported by the blink.it learning platform.
Gabriele Feist (DVAG IT) is responsible as department head for the conception and implementation of IT training measures. For nearly three years, these have been offered to the approximately 17,000 full-time wealth advisors of Deutsche Vermögensberatung in a blended learning format on the blink.it platform.
Matthias Spiegel (DAV) is from the educational management and is responsible there with colleagues from the media development for the blink.it platform of the Deutsche Akademie für Vermögensberatung. Here, blink.it is used to support and accompany the training and education of the wealth advisors.
Over 25,000 online learning units were completed last month at DVAG and DAV. What learning content do you convey to your wealth advisors with blink.it?
M. Spiegel: At DVAG, we even have two blink.it platforms in use: one for our IT systems and one for the actual wealth advisor training at DAV (Deutsche Akademie für Vermögensberatung).
We at DAV are responsible for the professional training and education of the wealth advisors, as well as for their leadership training. The whole thing usually starts with the founding of a business, where the directors guide the new wealth advisors. For this, we have used blink.it to provide the directors with learning materials. The upcoming wealth advisors can thus independently familiarize themselves with the most important topics online. However, we also provide documents to conduct training and seminars on-site.
G. Feist: On the IT platform, the handling of our digital support tools is the focus, especially dealing with the apps and tools specially developed for DVAG. We offer standard courses according to the blended learning principle and use them as learning support. We build individual measures for our directors upon request, consisting of an online course in combination with a webinar and/or an on-site event.
Why did you choose blended learning instead of purely e-learning?
G. Feist: We came to blended learning because we have around 17,000 full-time wealth advisors and cannot train them all in on-site seminars. This is simply not organizationally possible. We needed another solution to train our wealth advisors in dealing with our software: When we combine webinars with online courses, many more wealth advisors can benefit from our training measures.
M. Spiegel: At DAV, we wanted to give the wealth advisors the choice to decide how they want to consume the learning content. Previously, there were on-site events for everything. Today, there is the possibility to learn each individual topic either in person or online. One can even combine both forms.
We see this free choice as an offer and also as a service from us. The age structure of the wealth advisors is very heterogeneous, and thus the preferred learning format is very different. With in-person and online courses, we can ideally serve all target groups.
Who creates and manages these flexible learning offerings for the two blink.it platforms?
G. Feist: In IT, a learning architect takes on these tasks: A colleague from adult education with an appropriate degree. He is responsible for conceptualizing the courses to create suitable blended learning. The media are also produced by our own employees.
M. Spiegel: Within DAV, a team of five people is primarily responsible for the blink.it platform. In coordination with the other departments, the content is maintained and expanded.
The Blended Learning Model of DVAG with blink.it
Your online courses have several thousand to even ten thousand participants. How do you organize these large courses – and how do you monitor progress with so many participants?
G. Feist: Around 17,000 full-time wealth advisors have direct access to the large foundational courses explaining our IT systems and digital tools. Here, the wealth advisors can organize themselves independently and set their own learning pace.
With the individual courses, our trainers monitor the learning progress. However, there are only 30-60 participants. But this is the only way we can ensure that a similar level of knowledge is present on the practical day on-site. We also check whether, for example, homework has been completed and point out tasks in advance. Participants can thus already ask questions that we can then address in more detail on practical day. Our trainers assume the role of a learning companion in this case.
Why did you choose blink.it as a platform to implement these very different learning concepts?
G. Feist: The suggestion to try blink.it came from our external consultant and blink.it advocate Heike Molin. We specifically searched for something simple and self-explanatory that even PC beginners can manage. What convinced us was the simplicity of blink.it and that the content can be accessed on all mobile devices.
M. Spiegel: An additional point is the possibility of adapting to the corporate design of our own company. Recently at DAV, we implemented an adaptation to our own corporate design and were amazed at how well the platform can also be visually integrated with us.
Insight into the blink.it learning platform of DVAG: A foundational course for all wealth advisors with about 17,000 participants. Source: blink.it
Finally, a look at your employees: How do blink.it and your flexible learning concepts resonate with the wealth advisors?
G. Feist: Since we initially had many on-site events in IT, we naturally had to deal with acceptance issues at first. There were many who preferred a person on-site instead of online courses. The convincing point for our participants was the short learning content: I can watch the videos on the way to the client or in the evening on the couch. We also follow up with our wealth advisors online after on-site events - for example, with summaries or photos - and receive feedback that this helps them recall the content again.
M. Spiegel: The fact that wealth advisors have the option to say "I complement the on-site events with online content and review it again" is also received very well. We receive predominantly very positive feedback!
Thank you for these exciting insights into DVAG and DAV, Ms. Feist and Mr. Spiegel!
Conclusion
Successful e-learning is not shown in the technology, but in the effective connection of scaling, flexibility, and learning support.
The example of DVAG and DAV makes it clear: blended learning is not a compromise between in-person and online but a strategic model for large organizations with heterogeneous target groups. The combination of freely selectable learning formats, clear structure, and accompanying support enables even 17,000 advisors to be trained efficiently and individually.
Those who think systematically about learning and consciously use digital opportunities not only creates reach - but also sustainable impact.
Updated on 02.03.2026
