Thomas Coesfeld will become the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann in 2027, the company’s supervisory board announced early Thursday.

The 35-year-old Bertelsmann executive board member will officially succeed Thomas Rabe on January 1, 2027, after Rabe’s contract expires on December 31, 2026, marking the end of his 15-year tenure as Chairman and CEO. Coesfeld has been CEO of the BMG division since 2023 and a member of the Bertelsmann Executive Board since 2024.

The supervisory board has also appointed Clément Schwebig to the Bertelsmann Executive Board as the future CEO of RTL Group, effective May 1, 2026.

Bertelsmann Supervisory Board Chairman Christoph Mohn said: “On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to congratulate Thomas Coesfeld on his appointment

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