At its meeting today, the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board appointed Bernd Hirsch (45) as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Hirsch is scheduled to take up his new position as CFO of the international media, services and education group on April 1, 2016. He will take over responsibility as CFO from Thomas Rabe, who had taken on the role on a transitional basis in addition to his duties as Chief Executive Officer. At the same time, Hirsch will become a member of the Bertelsmann Group Management Committee (GMC).
Christoph Mohn, Chairman of Bertelsmann’s Supervisory Board, said: “Bernd Hirsch is an excellent choice for Bertelsmann’s Finance department. He has proven his great expertise in all traditional functions of the Finance department, as well as handling numerous M&A transactions and acquisition financing with a volume in the billions. He is also well versed in the practices of the international capital markets. The entire Supervisory Board is delighted that Bernd Hirsch will enrich the Executive Board with his knowledge and that he will play a decisive role in further expanding Bertelsmann’s good financial position.”
Bernd Hirsch most recently served as CFO at the global supplier of fragrances and flavorings Symrise AG. Since December 2009, his responsibilities at the MDAX-listed company included the accounting, controlling, finance, treasury, investor relations and risk management departments. Prior to joining the Symrise management board, Hirsch worked for seven years at the Carl Zeiss Group. A business graduate, he began his career at the auditing firm Arthur Andersen in Stuttgart. Hirsch is married and has three children.
About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the service providers Arvato and Be Printers, the music company BMG and the Bertelsmann Education Group. The company has more than 112,000 employees and generated revenues of €16.7 billion in financial year 2014. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes the creation of first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.
