Who is Thomas Coesfeld? All about BMG's CEO as he is reportedly set to take over Bertelsmann in 2027

Bertelsmann announced that Thomas Coesfeld, currently heading BMG, will assume the chairmanship and chief‑executive duties, a shift that hints at a new chapter for the media titan. The company clarified on Thursday, Nov. 13 that Coesfeld is set to take the helm on January 1, 2027, following the end of Thomas Rabe's tenure at the end of 2026. The planned handover is meant to usher in the generation of stewardship.

Thomas Coesfeld is a media executive, now heads BMG as CEO while also sitting on Bertelsmann’s executive board. He earned degrees from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management and from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. After launching his career at McKinsey & Company in Munich, he joined Bertelsmann in 2016 through its Entrepreneurs Program.

Through a series of posts, first, as strategy officer at Bertelsmann Printing Group and later as BMG’s CFO, he has been instrumental in shaping the firm's growth and its digital roadmap. In 2023, he took over the BMG helm from Hartwig Masuch.

By 2024, he secured a place on Bertelsmann’s executive board. Since then, Coesfeld has steered a modernization drive under the BMG banner, prioritizing expansion, sharpening catalog efficiency and weaving a more integrated global operation. His appointment is part of a hand‑over in Bertelsmann’s leadership, putting him squarely in the driver’s seat as the company charts its next chapter.

Thomas Coesfeld takes charge of Bertelsmann's media arm while continuing as BMG CEO amid leadership reshuffle

Thomas Coesfeld is poised to widen his remit at Bertelsmann, now taking the reins of the groups media‑and‑services division while still holding the CEO post,= at BMG. The reshuffle follows the departure of Thomas Rabe, who stepped down after 15 years steering the conglomerate, as reported by Billboard PRO.

Coesfeld, a face on the Bertelsmann executive board as of 2024 and BMG’s chief executive since 2023 previously wore two hats - CFO of BMG and chief strategy officer at the Bertelsmann Printing Group. Rabe hailed him as a trusted successor and Coesfeld thanked the board and its chairman, Christoph Mohn, for the confidence they showed.

At BMG, he steered a restructuring that centralized operations, ramped up tech investment and moved distribution in‑house. According to Billboard, even though revenue fell 8% to €424 million (approximately $460 million USD) in  2025, BMG remained profitable with formats, swelling to 72% of total income. Bertelsmann, active in 50 countries through RTL Group, Penguin Random House and Arvato posted a 1.2% rise in revenue to €9.1 billion (approximately $9.8 billion USD), also naming Clément Schwebig as RTL Group CEO from May 2026.

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