Thomas Rabe, the Chief Executive Officer of RTL Group, will step down from that role at the European broadcast conglomerate next year.
Rabe is also CEO of parent company Bertlesmann, and previously affirmed his intention to step down from that role by the end of next year. His departure from RTL Group is related to his prior-announced plans, the company said on Friday.
Clément Schwebig, the President and Managing Director of Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD) Western European and African businesses, will succeed Rabe as CEO in May. Schwebig began his career at RTL Group, spending more than a decade in operational roles across European television businesses before moving to Turner Broadcasting and WBD, where he oversaw the company’s linear television and regional streaming units.
RTL Group also confirmed that Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Elmar Heggen will step down by the end of this year. Heggen, a long-serving executive who has overseen key operational and financial functions, will remain on RTL Group’s board as a non-executive director.
Martin Taylor, the Chairman of of RTL Group’s Board of Directors, said Schwebig’s return positions the broadcaster for its next phase of growth.
“We are delighted to welcome Clément Schwebig back to RTL Group to succeed Thomas Rabe,” Taylor said. He added that Schwebig brings extensive international experience across linear television, streaming and production, as well as a global network that is “a key asset in forming and expanding strategic partnerships.”
Rabe endorsed the incoming CEO, noting their long professional history.
“Clément Schwebig is deeply familiar with the global TV industry and with RTL Group,” he said. “We worked together over many years and I greatly value his expertise, leadership style and international network.”
Rabe helped RTL Group execute its blockbuster acquisition of Sky Deutschland from Comcast earlier this year. The company will also provide advertising sales and support to WBD’s HBO Max streaming service when it launches in Germany next year.
