Press Release

Press Release | Gütersloh, 01/21/2021

Bertelsmann Supervisory Board Extends Thomas Rabe’s Contract Through 2026

The Chairman's third five-year term of office following his appointment begins on January 1, 2022

At its meeting today, the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board extended Thomas Rabe’s contract as Chairman & CEO of the company for another five years. Rabe’s third term begins on January 1, 2022. The manager was first appointed as CEO on January 1, 2012. Since then, he has strategically realigned the international media, services, and education group in this role.

Christoph Mohn, Chairman of the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board, says: “I am delighted about the renewal of Thomas Rabe’s contract. In a time of increasingly rapid change, this is a clear sign of continuity. Thomas Rabe is a strategist with outstanding analytical skills and an excellent manager who has proven his and his team’s merits once again during the Corona crisis. He has successfully led Bertelsmann in recent years and strengthened it for the future. We wish him continued success.”

Thomas Rabe, Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann, says: “I would like to thank the Supervisory Board and the shareholders for the trust they have once again placed in me. I look forward to my third term as CEO of a company that still inspires me today as much as it did when I first took office. Together with the Executive Board, the management, and every employee, we have achieved a great deal at and for Bertelsmann in the past decade. There are exciting tasks ahead of us.”

Thomas Rabe has served as Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann since 2012. Since April 2019, he has also held this position at RTL Group. Milestones of his tenure at the helm of Bertelsmann to date include the formation of Penguin Random House as the world’s leading book publishing group, BMG’s re-entry into the music business, the realignment of the Arvato services division, the entry into the education business, and the establishment of Bertelsmann Investments’ fund activities as well as numerous alliances and partnerships.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 126,000 employees and generated revenues of €18.0 billion in the 2019 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.