Luxembourg/Cologne, 13 November 2025 – RTL Group today announces a new leadership which will take the Group into the next phase of its development. RTL Group’s Board of Directors has decided that Clément Schwebig, currently President and Managing Director Western Europe & Africa at Warner Bros. Discovery, will succeed Thomas Rabe as CEO of RTL Group in May 2026. Clément Schwebig is also expected to join RTL Group’s Board of Directors as Executive Director.
Elmar Heggen will step down, at his own request, from his current position as RTL Group’s Deputy CEO and COO by the end of 2025. He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors of RTL Group as Non-Executive Director.
Following the leadership change in May 2026, RTL Group’s Executive Committee will consist of Clément Schwebig (CEO) and Björn Bauer (CFO).
Martin Taylor, Chairman of RTL Group’s Board of Directors, says: “Elmar Heggen’s exceptional business acumen and negotiation skills have allowed him to play a pivotal role in shaping the Group’s strategy and development. I would like to thank Elmar for our close collaboration over many years, and for his support in facilitating the upcoming leadership transition.”
Martin Taylor continues: “We are delighted to welcome Clément Schwebig back to RTL Group to succeed Thomas Rabe. Clément Schwebig brings considerable international expertise across linear TV, streaming and content production. Over more than two decades, he has built an extensive network across the global media industry – a key asset in forming and expanding strategic partnerships. I am very pleased that he has agreed to lead RTL Group into the next phase of its growth, together with our accomplished CFO, Björn Bauer.”
Thomas Rabe, CEO of RTL Group, says: “Clément Schwebig is deeply familiar with the global TV industry and with RTL Group. We worked together over many years and I greatly value his expertise, leadership style and international network. Together with our CFO Björn Bauer and the CEOs of our business units, he will lead RTL Group with a team of first-class managers to further expand the company, in particular in the areas of streaming and content production. I would also like to personally thank Elmar Heggen for our long journey in leading and developing RTL Group, his determination and remarkable entrepreneurial achievements.”
Elmar Heggen, Deputy CEO and COO of RTL Group, says: “I would like to sincerely thank the Board and the shareholders of RTL Group for their enduring trust and support. Over more than 25 years, I was fortunate to enjoy exceptional entrepreneurial freedom. I am also deeply grateful for the close and trustful collaboration with the management teams across the Group. This has made working for RTL not just a role, but a true privilege. I now look forward to continuing the journey as a Non-Executive Director of this fantastic company.”
Clément Schwebig, born in 1977, holds a master’s degree in management from HEC Paris Business School and a master’s degree in corporate law from La Sorbonne University. He began his career in the media industry at RTL Group, where he spent more than a decade managing television operations across Europe. In 2013, Clément Schwebig joined Time Warner/Turner in Hong Kong, where he served in several senior positions including Head of Business Development & Digital for Asia, General Manager China, and Chief Financial Officer Asia Pacific. Following the merger of Warner Media and Discovery, he was appointed President and Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery in Asia, encompassing India, Southeast Asia, and Korea, based in Singapore. Clément Schwebig is currently President and Managing Director Western Europe & Africa at Warner Bros. Discovery. In this role, he oversees a diverse regional portfolio across brands such as Warner Bros., HBO, Discovery and Eurosport, covering TV networks, the streaming service HBO Max, local content production (scripted and unscripted) and Warner Bros. Studio activities.
RTL Group is a leading entertainment company across broadcast, streaming, content and digital, with interests in 52 television channels, six streaming services and 40 radio stations. The Group’s families of TV channels are either number one or number two in five European countries, while RTL Group owns or has interests in radio stations in France, Germany, Spain and Luxembourg. RTL Deutschland is the Group’s largest business unit and Germany’s first cross-media champion, operating across TV, streaming, radio, digital and publishing. RTL Group’s streaming services include RTL+ in Germany and Hungary, and M6+ in France. Fremantle is one of the world’s largest creators, producers and distributors of scripted and unscripted content, and is responsible for more than 11,000 hours of programming per year, alongside an international network of teams operating in 28 countries. The streaming tech company Bedrock, the ad-tech company Smartclip and the social media company We Are Era are also owned by RTL Group. As a market leader, RTL Group strives to foster alliances and partnerships within the European media industry, for example by building a one-stop advertising sales house in Germany with Ad Alliance and driving international advertising sales with RTL AdAlliance. Bertelsmann is the majority shareholder of RTL Group, which is listed on the Luxembourg and Frankfurt stock exchanges and in the MDAX stock index.
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