RTL GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Executive Vice President Corporate Controlling and Strategy at Bertelsmann
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- EVP Business Development
- Member of the Management Team
- Management
Andreas Fischer, born in 1970, became Head of Business Development at RTL Group in July 2019. In January 2020, he was promoted to Executive Vice President Business Development. In August 2022, Andreas was named Chief Operating Officer (COO) of RTL Deutschland.
Andreas started his career at RTL Group in 2000 and has worked in various functions before joining RTL Group's Strategy & Controlling department in 2010, where he became Vice President Mergers & Acquisitions in 2011. In 2013, he took over the management and coordination of RTL Group's Synergy Committees. In September 2015, Andreas became Senior Vice President Business Development & Emerging Markets. He was appointed Senior Vice President Business Development and Regional Operations CEE & Asia on 1 January 2017. Andreas was appointed Senior Vice President (SVP) Global Operations Management Broadcast & Content in March 2018.
Andreas holds a law degree from Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg (Germany) and a Master of Laws degree from University of New South Wales and University of Sydney (Australia).
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- Head of M & a
- Management
Björn Bauer graduated in business administration in 2005 from the European Business School (Oestrich-Winkel, Germany).
In 2005, he started his career at the international management consultancy Arthur D. Little and then joined Bertelsmann in 2007, where he held successive positions in Corporate Controlling and Strategy.
In February 2015, Björn Bauer was appointed Head of M&A at the online learning provider Relias in Cary, North Carolina, which Bertelsmann had acquired in November 2014. In September 2015, he was appointed CFO of Relias. After nearly four years in the United States, he returned to Gütersloh in January 2019 as Bertelsmann's Executive Vice President for Corporate Controlling and Strategy.
In August 2019, he was appointed CFO of RTL Group.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- CEO of Bertelsmann Investments and Member of Bertelsmann 's Group Management Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- CEO of RTL Luxembourg
- Management
Christophe Goossens, born in 1976, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of RTL Luxembourg in January 2017. Goosens joined RTL Luxembourg in April 2007 as Station Manager and Director of Luxradio (Eldoradio) and was promoted to the post of Station Manager at RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg in October 2012. Prior to that, he was a partner in the Luxembourg-based mobile messaging and micro-payment service provider Mpulse and served in various capacities at telecoms operator Tango, also based in the Grand Duchy. Goossens graduated from the ICHEC Brussels Management School with a degree in economics and finance.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Deputy CEO
- Executive Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- Management
Elmar Heggen, born in 1968, holds a diploma in business administration from the European Business School Oestrich-Winkel, and graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in finance.
In 1992, he started his career at the Felix Schoeller Group, becoming Vice President and General Manager of Felix Schoeller Digital Imaging in the UK in 1999. Elmar Heggen first joined the RTL Group Corporate Centre in 2000 as Vice President Mergers and Acquisitions.
In January 2003, he was promoted to Senior Vice President Controlling and Investments. From July 2003 until December 2005 he was Executive Vice President Strategy and Controlling.
Since January 2006, Elmar Heggen has served on the RTL Group Executive Management Team, and since 1 October 2006 he has been CFO and Head of the Corporate Centre of RTL Group.
In January 2018, Elmar Heggen was appointed Deputy CEO of RTL Group, in addition to his role as CFO.
Since August 2019, Elmar Heggen has been Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of RTL Group.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- CEO of RTL Hungary
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Business Founder and Investor
- Management
Guillaume de Posch, born in 1958, started his career at the international energy and services company Tractebel (1985 to 1990) and then joined the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company (1990 to 1993).
Guillaume de Posch began working in the media industry at the Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT) as assistant to the Managing Director (1993 to 1994) before becoming Head of CLT's TV operations in French-speaking countries (1995 to 1997). From 1997 to 2003, he was Deputy General Manager and Programming Director of the French pay-TV company TPS, before joining the publicly listed ProSiebenSat1 Media AG in August 2003, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO (2004 to 2008).
Guillaume de Posch was appointed Chief Operating Officer and member of the RTL Group Executive Committee on 1 January 2012.
With effect from 18 April 2012, Guillaume de Posch assumed the role of Co-CEO of RTL Group. In January 2018, Guillaume de Posch stepped down as Co-CEO of RTL Group. Since then, he has served as a non-executive member of RTL Group's Board of Directors.
Guillaume de Posch has served as President of the ACT (Association of Commercial Television) in Europe since 2017.
Job Titles:
- Member of Nomination and Compensation Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- Chief Human Resources Officer, Bertelsmann Management SE
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Management Team
- Management
Ingrid Heisserer, born on 7 August 1973, has been Chief Financial Officer of RTL Deutschland since 22 November 2022.
After studying business administration and law in Nancy, France, she started her career as a financial controller at the French subsidiary of Steelcase, a US manufacturer of office furniture. In 2000, Ingrid Heisserer, who has French and German nationality, moved to a similar position at the leading international cosmetics producer L'Oréal, where she took on several management roles in finance and lived and worked in Germany, France, Russia and Brazil. In 2016, she took on her first CFO position at the German subsidiary of L'Oréal with responsibility for the Luxury division. From 2021 until her move to RTL Deutschland, Ingrid Heisserer was CFO for Austria and Germany at L'Oréal.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- Vice - Chairman of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- CEO of Fremantle
- Management
Jennifer Mullin joined US, Fremantle (then FremantleMedia North America - FMNA), as Senior Vice President of Current Programming in 2005, in 2012 she became Executive Vice President of Current Programming. She was promoted to Co-CEO of US, Fremantle, the largest unit of the global Fremantle Group in 2015, and then CEO as of 2017. In this role she has full responsibility for its overall management and business performance, leading the development, production and business operations of over 12,000 hours of network, cable and syndicated scripted and unscripted programming per year. Prior to joining Fremantle US, Jennifer worked as an Executive Producer at companies such as Paramount, Telepictures and Universal. In 2018 she was appointed as Group CEO of Fremantle.
Job Titles:
- Member of Nomination and Compensation Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- Director of the Nielsen Holdings PLC
- Management
- Media Executive & Industry Advisor
Lauren Zalaznick, born in 1963, was appointed as Non-Executive Director to RTL Group's Board of Directors for a term of three years in April 2018.
Having begun her career making independent feature films, Zalaznick moved on to become a TV executive, most recently EVP, Comcast NBC Universal, overseeing such brands as Bravo, Oxygen, Telemundo, and Fandango. She now advises and invests in the world's leading digital and media brands.
Zalaznick has devoted her career in media to transforming the cultural landscape, and has been responsible for the growth of some of the strongest TV and digital brands in media. She is widely recognised as an industry shape-shifter and innovator, and has received many honours for her achievements.
Aside from many Emmy, BDA, Webby and Peabody Award nominations and wins, Zalaznick has been named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, has delivered a TED talk with close to a million views, and has been the subject of a New York Times Magazine cover story.
Lauren Zalaznick is currently a director of The Nielsen Holdings PLC and GoPro Inc, which are both listed companies. She is also a Trustee Emerita of Brown University, from which she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
RTL is Europe's leading entertainment brand standing for entertainment, independent journalism, inspiration, energy and attitude. With our TV channels, streaming services, radio stations and online platforms in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Hungary and Luxembourg, we reach millions of people across Europe every day. The RTL brand is owned by RTL Group.
Job Titles:
- Member of Nomination and Compensation Committee
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of RTL Group Chairman of the Nomination and Compensation Committee of RTL Group
- Management
Martin Taylor, born in 1952, began his career as a financial journalist with Reuters and the Financial Times. He then joined Courtaulds PLC, becoming a director in 1987, then Chief Executive of Courtaulds Textiles PLC on its demerger in 1990.
He moved to Barclays PLC in 1993 as Chief Executive, a post he held until the end of 1998. From 1999 to 2003, he was Chairman of WHSmith PLC, and from 1999 to 2005, International Advisor to Goldman Sachs. From 2005 until 2013, he was Chairman of the Board of Syngenta AG.
From 2013 until March 2020, Martin Taylor served as an external member of the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England.
He has worked on various projects for the British Government and served for five years as a member of its Council for Science and Technology. Appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director in July 2000 (when RTL Group was created), he took over the responsibilities of Vice-Chairman of the Board in December 2004.
On 1 April 2019, Martin Taylor was appointed Chairman of the RTL Group Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- Co - CEO of RTL Deutschland and CEO of Ad Alliance Deutschland
- Management
Born in Mainz in 1967, Matthias Dang was appointed Co-CEO of RTL Deutschland in September 2021.
In this role, he manages all of the Group's commercial, technological and digital activities. He has served as CEO of the advertising sales house Ad Alliance since January 2017, having held the same role at IP Deutschland from September 2012. He is also a member of the Bertelsmann Group Management Committee.
He studied economics in Mainz from 1989 to 1993, during which time he also worked in the central editorial department of 3sat. In 1993, the business school graduate joined IP Deutschland and took on various marketing roles until 1998, when he was appointed Sales Director. In 2003, he returned to marketing as Director of Operations. Matthias served as Director of Sales Operations from 2004 to 2009 and was also made Deputy Managing Director in October 2009. He was appointed Chief Commercial Technology & Data Officer at RTL Deutschland (Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland) in February 2019.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- Chairman of the Board of Groupe M6
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President / Communications & Investor Relations
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- Adjunct Professor at Copenhagen Business School
Pernille Erenbjerg, born in 1967, was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director to RTL Group's Board of Directors on 28 April 2021.
Pernille Erenbjerg graduated from the Copenhagen Business School and is a Certified Public Accountant. She started her career at Arthur Andersen as Auditor and Consultant and later joined Deloitte as Equity Partner.
From 2003 to 2018, Pernille Erenbjerg held several positions at Denmark's largest telecommunications company, TDC Group, most recently as Group CEO and President, and before that as Group CFO and Deputy CEO.
Today, including RTL Group, she serves as Non-Executive Director for four listed companies. At Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT), a Nordic-based media company, she is Chairman of the Board. At Millicom, a cable and mobile operator, she is Deputy Chair of the Board and Chair of the Remuneration Committee. At Genmab, a biotech company, she is Deputy Chair of the Board, Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, and member of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee.
Her previous Non-Executive Directorships has been at Nordea, the largest bank in the Nordics, DFDS, a listed Danish shipping and logistics company, and the Royal Danish Theatre.
Pernille Erenbjerg is an Adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School, from where she holds a Master of Science in Economics.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- CFO and Member of the Bertelsmann Management SE Executive Board
- Management
Rolf Hellermann, born in 1976, has been a member of RTL Group's Board of Directors since 1 January 2021.
After studying business administration in Vallendar, Los Angeles, and Nancy, Rolf Hellermann received his doctorate from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar. He started working at the Bertelsmann Corporate Centre directly afterwards, in 2004. In 2012, Rolf Hellermann became head of Bertelsmann's Corporate Controlling and Strategy department. From 2015 until 2018 he was CFO of Arvato, the services division of Bertelsmann. He served as CEO of Arvato Financial Solutions from November 2018 until December 2020 and has been a member of Bertelsmann's Group Management Committee since January 2019. He also heads the Bertelsmann Tech and Data Advisory Board, which advises the Executive Board on technology issues and advances Bertelsmann's evolution into a globally leading media, services, and education company in tech.
With effect from 1 January 2021, Rolf Hellermann has taken up the position as CFO and member of the Board at Bertelsmann Management SE.
From August 2015 to December 2018, Rolf Hellermann had already served as a non-executive member of RTL Group's Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Chief Content Officer
- Management
- Member of the Management Board and Chief
Stephan Schmitter has been a member of the Management Board and Chief Content Officer of RTL Deutschland since November 2022. In this function, he is responsible for all content, including the entire journalistic offering of RTL Deutschland, across all channels and platforms. From the beginning of 2022, Stephan Schmitter was Chief Journalistic Content Officer at RTL Deutschland and Managing Director of RTL News - a position which he took over in April 2021. He is additionally Managing Director of NTV and a member of the Board for the Bertelsmann Content Alliance. Stephan Schmitter began his journalistic career in 1996 at Radio Gong 96.3 in Munich. From 2007 to 2020, he was Managing Director of RTL Radio Center Berlin GmbH and from 2018 to the beginning of 2023, he was CEO of RTL Radio Deutschland.
RTL is Europe's leading entertainment brand standing for entertainment, independent journalism, inspiration, energy and attitude. With our TV channels, streaming services, radio stations and online platforms in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Hungary and Luxembourg, we reach millions of people across Europe every day. The RTL brand is owned by RTL Group.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- Management
Sven Sauvé, born in 1974, holds a master's degree in Business Economics with a specialisation in Strategic Management from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam.
He joined RTL Nederland in January 2007 as Business Director of RTL Nederland Productions, building up the company's newly launched in-house production unit.
Before joining RTL Nederland, Sven Sauvé held executive positions at the production companies Endemol Nederland (2002 to 2005) and Eyeworks Holding (2005 to 2007).
From March 2009 to September 2012, he was Business Director TV at RTL Nederland, being responsible for all business, HR and legal affairs of the unit's linear free-to-air TV channels. Since September 2012, Sven Sauvé has been the Chief Operating Officer of RTL Nederland, being in charge of the financial management, content acquisition and operational processes for all linear TV channels and non-linear video platforms of RTL Nederland. In this position, he has also been the Managing Director of RTL Nederland's subscription on-demand platform Videoland.
With effect from 1 July 2017, Sven Sauvé assumed the role of CEO of RTL Nederland.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Member of Nomination and Compensation Committee
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- General Counsel, Bertelsmann SE & CO KGaA
- Management
Thomas Götz, born in 1971, graduated from the University of Bayreuth with a doctorate in law in 1999. A year earlier, during his studies, he joined Bertelsmann's Corporate Legal department as an in-house lawyer.
From 2009 to 2013, he was Co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Bertelsmann. Prior to this he worked for two years as Senior Vice President Mergers and Acquisitions.
Thomas Götz has been General Counsel at Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA since January 2014.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- CFO
- Chairman of the Management Board
- Executive Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Operations Management Committee
- CEO and Chairman of the Bertelsmann Management SE Executive Board
- Management
- Member of the Supervisory Board of Adidas AG
Thomas Rabe, born in 1965, holds a diploma and a doctorate in economics from the University of Cologne, Germany. He started his career in 1989 at the European Commission in Brussels. From 1990 to 1996 he held various senior positions at Forrester Norall & Sutton (now White & Case) in Brussels, the state privatisation agency Treuhandanstalt, and a venture capital fund in Berlin. In 1996, he joined Cedel International (now Clearstream), where he was appointed CFO and member of the Management Board in 1998.
In 2000, Thomas Rabe became CFO and member of the Executive Committee of
RTL Group. In March 2003, he was also appointed Head of the Corporate Centre. With effect from 1 January 2006, Thomas Rabe was appointed to the Executive Board of Bertelsmann AG as the Group's CFO. From 2006 to 2008, he was also responsible for Bertelsmann AG's music business.
Since 1 January 2012, Thomas Rabe has been CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Bertelsmann.
On 1 April 2019, Thomas Rabe was appointed CEO of RTL Group.
Since August 2022, Thomas Rabe, has taken over as Chairman of the Management Board of RTL Deutschland.
In May 2019, Thomas Rabe was appointed member of the Supervisory Board of Adidas AG and has served as Chairman since 11 August 2020.