Overview
- The supervisory board appointed Clément Schwebig as RTL Group CEO effective May 1, 2026, and named him to the Bertelsmann Executive Board.
- Thomas Coesfeld, 35, will take over as Bertelsmann chairman and CEO on January 1, 2027, following Thomas Rabe’s 15-year tenure ending December 31, 2026.
- Coesfeld will continue to serve as CEO of BMG, holding both roles once he becomes Bertelsmann’s chief.
- RTL deputy CEO Elmar Heggen will step down from his executive role, with the post-transition Executive Committee consisting of Schwebig and CFO Björn Bauer.
- Schwebig returns with senior experience at RTL and Warner Bros. Discovery as the group underscores Rabe-era priorities, including investment in Fremantle, growth of RTL+, and recent portfolio moves such as selling RTL Netherlands to DPG Media and acquiring Sky Deutschland.