Bertelsmann is one of the largest publishing groups in the world. Headquartered in Germany, Bertelsmann’s divisions, including RTL Group, Penguin Random House, Arvato, Gruner + Jahr, and BMG, produce market-leading TV, books, magazines, music, services, print, and educational materials. With hundreds of subsidiaries and 117,000 employees across 50 countries, Bertelsmann is truly a global organisation.
A shifting media landscape, a new data protection challenge
Above all, Bertelsmann stands for entrepreneurship and creativity, a combination the company says promotes great content and innovative service solutions. Staying true to this mantra, Bertelsmann publishers have spent the last decade strategically shifting its strategy from a traditional print and TV focus to a multichannel and digital content distribution model. In addition to traditional books, magazines, and TV shows, the company’s brands offer eBooks, online magazines, and digital platforms to watch shows on demand. As the media industry continues to change, Bertelsmann leverages its foundational principles of entrepreneurship and creativity to grow.
For example, while Bertelsmann’s largest subsidiary RTL Group is traditionally a broadcast company, their various digital platforms make them the leading European media company in online video. “When customers watch content from their laptops and smartphones, they want to be sure we use their data in the way we promised,” said Sebastian Schlender, SVP and Data Protection Officer (DPO), Bertelsmann.
