News | RTL Group | Luxembourg/Cologne, 11/21/2018

Leadership change at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland

• Anke Schäferkordt to leave RTL Group, effective end of 2018
• Bernd Reichart to become new CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland

RTL Group today announced changes to the executive management team of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. After more than 13 highly successful years as CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and over 27 years with RTL, Anke Schäferkordt will leave RTL Group, effective 31 December 2018.

RTL Group and Anke Schäferkordt have jointly decided, with mutual consent and under the best terms, not to renew her contract as CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland.

Bernd Reichart, currently Managing Director of Vox, will become the new CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. His successor as Managing Director of Vox will be announced in due course.

Anke Schäferkordt, CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, says: “After more than 27 years with RTL, leaving the company is not an easy step. Given our very strong management team and the clear strategic direction we have jointly developed over many years, I believe that a swift transition is in the best interest of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. I am tremendously grateful and proud to have led this great company with its outstanding employees. I had the opportunity to work with exceptionally skilled and dedicated people over the years and build lasting relationships on both a professional and personal level.”

Bert Habets, CEO of RTL Group, says: “Anke Schäferkordt has shaped the success story of RTL Group. The list of her entrepreneurial achievements is unparalleled: From 1995 to 2005, Anke was imperative in turning around our German channel Vox and building it into one of the most profitable and strongest brands in our whole portfolio. Together with a strong and dedicated management team, she has systematically expanded our German family of channels and more than tripled the unit’s operating profit since 2005. As Co-CEO of RTL Group, she was a key force to put our Group back on the growth track by making strategic investments into digital video businesses. In the name of more than 14,000 employees and RTL Group’s Executive Committee, I would like to deeply thank Anke for her fantastic performance, strong leadership and strategic vision. We all wish her the best for her future endeavours.”

Bert Habets continues: “Bernd Reichart combines outstanding programming skills, management capabilities and international experience which he has demonstrated in various executive positions within our Group. Under his leadership, Vox has made a huge leap into the first league of German TV channels, repeatedly winning primetime audience leadership with hit formats such as Sing meinen Song, Club der roten Bänder and Die Höhle der Löwen. I am delighted that we have found such a strong and creative leader from within RTL Group to continue our track record in Germany with even more local, exclusive content and ambitious expansion plans in video on demand. I look forward to working closely with Bernd and wish him every success in his new position.”

Anke Schäferkordt, born in 1962, holds a degree in business administration. She started her career at Bertelsmann in 1988. In 1991, she moved to RTL Plus (now RTL Television) in Cologne, and took over the Controlling department the following year. From 1993 to 1995 she was a Director in charge of the Corporate Planning and Controlling division at RTL Television.

In 1995, she joined the TV broadcaster Vox, serving as CFO and, from 1997 onwards, also as Programme Director. Then, from 1999 until 2005, she was CEO of Vox. In February 2005, Anke Schäferkordt was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of RTL Television, and since September 2005, its CEO. In November 2007, the German RTL family of channels adopted the corporate brand name Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. During this time, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland has systematically expanded its portfolio of linear TV channels and digital services, and has more than tripled its operating profit (EBITA) from €240 million (2005) to more than €700 million (2017: €725 million).

From April 2012 to April 2017, Anke Schäferkordt was additionally Co-CEO of RTL Group. Together with Co-CEO Guillaume de Posch she succeeded in making RTL Group more digital, more international and accelerating growth.

Bernd Reichart, born in 1974, began his career in the sports marketing sector with UFA Sports in Hamburg immediately after finishing university. In 2003 he opened a branch in Madrid for the sports rights agency Sportfive, where he worked as Marketing Manager.

In 2004, he moved to RTL Group’s shareholding in Spain, Antena 3, as Head of Investor Relations. From 2007 to 2013 he worked as Managing Director Multichannel with the commercial TV broadcaster Antena 3/Atresmedia, being responsible for five free-TV channels. Since February 2013, Bernd Reichart has been Managing Director of Vox and member of the management team of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland.