News | Bertelsmann Marketing Services | Gütersloh, 09/30/2016

Axel Hentrei Takes Over Sole Leadership of Bertelsmann Printing Group

Co-CEO Bertram Stausberg leaves on best of terms

The Bertelsmann Printing Group will in future be managed by a single Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Axel Hentrei, who previously headed the group as co-CEO with Bertram Stausberg, will bear sole responsibility for Bertelsmann’s printing businesses with effect from October 1st. On the same date, Bertram Stausberg leaves the Group at his own request and on the best of mutual terms to take on a new business challenge. 

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe commented: "I both respect and regret Bertram Stausberg’s decision to leave the Bertelsmann Printing Group, and cordially thank him for his huge contribution to the development of a new printing strategy for Bertelsmann. Prior to this, at the helm of BePrinters Bertram Stausberg was instrumental in helping to transform and strategically realign the gravure operations and in implementing the disposals of the southern European and Colombian printing activities. At the same time, I look forward to an even deeper cooperation with Axel Hentrei, who has done excellent work in developing and expanding Bertelsmann’s offset printing businesses in recent years.” 

Axel Hentrei adds: "As Europe’s leading network of printing companies, the Bertelsmann Printing Group is in an excellent position to spearhead developments in the printing business and meet the challenges of the industry in a flexible and appropriate way. The bundling of offset and gravure printing activities of Bertelsmann under one roof was strategically exactly the right step, as evidenced among other things by the good business performance in the first half of 2016, and the addition of major new customers, especially in gravure." 

Axel Hentrei, a business graduate (Diplom-Betriebswirt) began his career in 1989 as a management consultant and joined Mohn Media Mohndruck GmbH in 1991. Since then, he has held successive management positions in which he was responsible for Controlling, Sales Management, Sales Back Office, Production Management and Distribution. In 2008, he was appointed CEO of Mohn Media. He has held his current position as Co-CEO of the Bertelsmann Printing Group since the beginning of 2016. 

About the Bertelsmann Printing Group
The Bertelsmann Printing Group comprises all of Bertelsmann’s printing operations. They include the German offset printing companies Mohn Media, GGP Media and Vogel Druck, Prinovis’ gravure operations in Germany and the U.K., as well as the offset and digital printing plants Berryville Graphics, Coral Graphics and OPM in the U.S. The group unites a wide spectrum of print and other print-related services – from marketing, creative and content services, to data, pre-press, printing and finishing services, through to comprehensive supply chain management and customer loyalty solutions. This Bertelsmann division with approximately 9,000 employees also includes the rtv media group and the creative services provider MBS, as well as the international storage media producer Sonopress. The Bertelsmann Printing Group has its headquarters in Gütersloh.