Habets replacing Schäferkordt as RTL CEO

Anke Schäferkordt is stepping down as co-CEO of RTL Group, with the pan-European broadcaster’s Dutch boss Bert Habets filling her role.

Schäferkordt will remain in charge of RTL Deutschland, the group’s largest operation, while RTL Nederland chief Habets will step into the chief exec role, working alongside existing co-CEO Guillaume de Posch, who remains in his current position.

RTL said Schäferkordt had requested the change, and she will leave the board of directors and executive committee on April 19, when the Bertelsmann-owned group holds its AGM, as a result.

Habets will join the board and committee at the same time. He will remain as RTL Nederland boss for the short term with a new chief expected to join before the end of the year.

“Together with her colleagues on the executive committee, [Schäferkordt] has succeeded in making RTL Group more digital, more international and faster growing,” said Thomas Rabe, chairman of the RTL Group board of directors today.

“At the same time, she and her management team in Germany have continued the success story of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. While I regret her decision, I fully respect her reasons and I’m very happy that she will continue to lead and advance our largest business unit – and that she will continue to contribute her unique experience and expertise to the digital transformation of our Group.”

Speaking about Habets’ elevation to co-CEO, he added: “Since Bert Habets joined our group in 1999, he has proven his outstanding leadership and creative skills.

“He transformed RTL Nederland from a traditional broadcaster into a media company which entertains its audience across all digital platforms. Bert Habets embodies RTL Group’s total video strategy.”

Schäferkordt said: “From our comprehensive strategic review in 2012 to the IPO of RTL Group in Frankfurt/Main in 2013, and our push into online video and advertising technology, leading and re-positioning RTL Group has been a fantastic experience for me.

“Now is the right time for me to focus fully on further advancing our German TV and digital operations, and contributing to the strategic development of Bertelsmann.”

RTL has broadcasting operations across Europe and owns production and distribution giant FremantleMedia. It generates annual Group-wide revenues of about €6 billion (US$6.3 billion).