Thomas Coesfeld To Become New Chairman & CEO Of Bertelsmann

Thomas Coesfeld will become the new chairman and CEO of the German media giant Bertelsmann. Based on a decision made by Bertelsmann’s Supervisory Board, the 35-year-old Bertelsmann Executive Board member will succeed Thomas Rabe (60), effective Jan. 1, 2027, after Rabe’s contract expires Dec. 31, 2026, marking the end of his 15-year tenure as chairman and CEO.

Coesfeld has been CEO of the BMG rights management division since 2023, and a member of the Bertelsmann Executive Board since 2024.

He began his career in 2014 as a management consultant at McKinsey after studying business administration in Vallendar, Washington, and Atlanta. Following various roles within Bertelsmann businesses, he became Chief Strategy Officer of Mohn Media in 2018.

In 2019, he assumed the same role for the entire Bertelsmann Printing Group (now Bertelsmann Marketing Services) and joined its management board. In 2020, Coesfeld moved to the management board of BMG, becoming CFO in April 2021 and CEO in July 2023.

He will continue in this role in a dual capacity. In July 2024, Thomas Coesfeld was appointed to the Bertelsmann Executive Board. Coesfeld is married and lives in Berlin and Gütersloh.

The Supervisory Board has also appointed Clément Schwebig (48) to the Bertelsmann Executive Board as the future CEO of entertainment and media conglomerate RTL Group, effective May 1, 2026.

Schwebig began his career in 1999 as an M&A analyst at JP Morgan Chase after earning a master’s degree in management from HEC Paris Business School and in corporate law from the Sorbonne. After more than a decade in various management positions at RTL Group, he moved to Hong Kong in 2013 as Asia Head of Business Development & Digital, General Manager China, and CFO Asia Pacific at Time Warner/Turner. He later served as President and Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery in Asia, based in Singapore, before being appointed President & Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery – Western Europe & Africa in 2023.

Schwebig, a French citizen, is married and has two children.

Comments:

Christoph Mohn, Chairman of the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board: “On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to congratulate Thomas Coesfeld on his appointment as the next Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann. As both an entrepreneur and a manager, he has all the qualities needed to lead Bertelsmann successfully and ensure the company’s continuity. Over the past ten years at Bertelsmann, I have come to know Thomas Coesfeld as an entrepreneurial leader. In recent years, he has taken the music company BMG to significantly higher levels of revenue and earnings and positioned it even more firmly for the streaming age. His appointment marks a generational change in Bertelsmann’s leadership. I wish him every success and a steady entrepreneurial hand.”

Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann: “I am very pleased with the Supervisory Board’s decision and congratulate Thomas Coesfeld on behalf of the entire Executive Board. We have worked closely and with great trust for many years, and I will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition. Bertelsmann’s leadership will be in excellent hands with him and his team.”

Thomas Coesfeld, CEO of BMG and future Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann: “I would like to thank the Supervisory Board – and in particular its Chairman, Christoph Mohn – for the trust they have placed in me. I am very much looking forward to assuming responsibility for leading Bertelsmann. It is a challenge I will take on with the full support of the Executive Board, top management, and all employees.”

Regarding the appointment of Clément Schwebig, Mohn added: “Clément Schwebig has more than 20 years of experience as a media executive, including ten years in various management positions at RTL Group. He will continue to drive forward the transformation of RTL’s businesses and, in particular, further expand its streaming and production activities.”

Rabe added: “Clément Schwebig knows RTL Group well, having worked for the company in senior positions in several countries between 2002 and 2013. In addition to his media expertise, he brings valuable insights into the growth markets of Asia, where Bertelsmann also aims to expand further. I know and value Clément Schwebig – we have worked together for many years – and I look forward to handing over the leadership of RTL Group to him.”

About Bertelsmann

Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company with about 75,000 employees that operates in some 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company generated revenues of €19 billion in the 2024 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination enables first-class media offerings and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.

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