Contenders for the Leadership at Bertelsmann Corporation
New CEO on the Horizon at Bertelsmans
Bertelsmann, the global powerhouse in media, services, and education, is about to announce a new leader successor at the end of this year. According to Christoph Mohn, chairman of its supervisory board, the decision will be made in due time. "We're doing solidly," he said with confidence.
So who's next to take the helm? There's been talk about two grandsons of the late company patriarch Reinhard Mohn: Carsten or Thomas Coesfeld. Although Christoph Mohn rates both young executives highly, he's keeping mum about the new CEO to be.
Time to pass the baton
The man in question, Thomas Rabe, has been at the helm since 2012 and also heads the TV subsidiary RTL since 2019. At a recent gathering of top execs in Gütersloh, Rabe said he's got big plans for a smooth transition by the close of 2026. Another deal's on the cards, he hinted, with more details coming soon.
M&A opportunities galore
It looks like Bertelsmann's M&A pipeline is bursting at the seams. Mohn reports weekly transactions or minority stakes, but big mergers are few and far between. He's keeping an open mind for potential partnerships or mergers where larger combinations could work. "The M&A pipeline is well-stocked," he shared, "but the market is competitive, especially for scalable digital assets."
Complexities aplenty
With so many businesses and diverse models, Bertelsmann is a mix of complexities. Mohn acknowledges the accelerated pace of transformation, as the lifecycle of business models seems to be shortening. "We're navigating through constant change," he said.
Two rising stars in the family firm
The Coesfeld brothers, members of the seventh generation of the family business, founded in 1835 in East Westphalia, are the ones to watch. Carsten (38) leads the education division and investment business, while Thomas (35) heads the music subsidiary BMG. Christoph Mohn emphasized the brothers' growth is far from over.
At the management conference, the brothers caught everyone's attention, with executives praising the event as a "showcase for Rabe's succession." Worth noting, Christoph Mohn also left the door open to a possible outside appointment for CEO. "We have strong board members with exceptional talent," he concluded. The future, he suggests, will involve responsibilities being distributed differently and across multiple shoulders.
Source: Reuters Gütersloh
Noteworthy Additional Insight:
Thomas Rabe, the soon-to-be former CEO of Bertelsmann, also currently holds the role of Supervisory Board Chairman at Adidas[1]. However, relevant search results make no direct mention of any specific successor or candidates from within Bertelsmann, including the Coesfeld brothers, to replace Rabe. It might be worth keeping an eye on recent or more specific announcements for further developments.
The new CEO at Bertelsmann, a global leader in finance, business, and education, is yet to be announced, with potential candidates being Carsten or Thomas Coesfeld, grandsons of the late company patriarch Reinhard Mohn.
With Thomas Rabe, who also heads the TV subsidiary RTL, planning for a smooth transition by 2026, the future of Bertelsmann may hold substantial M&A opportunities, especially in the digital sector.
