Thomas Coesfeld, CEO of Bertelsmann Music Group since 2023, has been named the new chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, parent company of Penguin Random House. On January 1, 2027, he will succeed Thomas Rabe, who will have been chairman and CEO for 15 years.
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| Thomas Coesfeld (Bertelsmann/Sebastian Pfütze) |
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Coesfeld began his career in 2014 as a management consultant at McKinsey after studying business administration in Vallendar, Washington, and Atlanta. Following various roles within Bertelsmann businesses, he became chief strategy officer of Mohn Media in 2018. In 2019, he assumed the same role for the entire Bertelsmann Printing Group (now Bertelsmann Marketing Services) and joined its management board. In 2020, Coesfeld moved to the management board of BMG, becoming CFO in April 2021 and CEO in July 2023. He will continue in this role in a dual capacity. In July 2024, Coesfeld was appointed to the Bertelsmann Executive Board.
Christoph Mohn, chairman of the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board, said of Coesfeld, "As both an entrepreneur and a manager, he has all the qualities needed to lead Bertelsmann successfully and ensure the company's continuity. Over the past 10 years at Bertelsmann, I have come to know Thomas Coesfeld as an entrepreneurial leader. In recent years, he has taken the music company BMG to significantly higher levels of revenue and earnings and positioned it even more firmly for the streaming age. His appointment marks a generational change in Bertelsmann's leadership. I wish him every success and a steady entrepreneurial hand."
Rabe said of Coesfeld: "We have worked closely and with great trust for many years, and I will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition. Bertelsmann's leadership will be in excellent hands with him and his team."
In another executive change at Bertelsmann, Clément Schwebig is joining the Bertelsmann Executive Board as future CEO of RTL Group on May 1, 2026.
Schwebig began his career in 1999 as an M&A analyst at JP Morgan Chase after earning a master's degree in management from HEC Paris Business School and in corporate law from the Sorbonne. After more than a decade in various management positions at RTL Group, he moved to Hong Kong in 2013 as Asia head of business development & digital, general manager China, and CFO Asia Pacific at Time Warner/Turner. He later served as president and managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery in Asia, based in Singapore, before being appointed president & managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery-Western Europe & Africa in 2023.
Mohn stated: "Clément Schwebig has more than 20 years of experience as a media executive, including 10 years in various management positions at RTL Group. He will continue to drive forward the transformation of RTL's businesses and, in particular, further expand its streaming and production activities."
Rabe added that Schwebig "knows RTL Group well, having worked for the company in senior positions in several countries between 2002 and 2013. In addition to his media expertise, he brings valuable insights into the growth markets of Asia, where Bertelsmann also aims to expand further. I know and value Clément Schwebig--we have worked together for many years--and I look forward to handing over the leadership of RTL Group to him."