RTL Group, which operates over 50 TV channels in Europe, has announced that its CEO, Thomas Rabe, is to step down from his role.
Rabe is also chair and CEO of RTL’s parent company, Bertelsmann and had previously announced plans to step down from that role at the end of 2026. He has been CEO of RTL for the past six years.
He will be replaced by Clément Schwebig, currently president and managing director, Western Europe and Africa at Warner Bros Discovery, who will step into his new role in May 2026.
Schwebig began his career in the media industry at RTL Group, where he spent more than a decade managing television operations across Europe
Deputy CEO and COO Elmar Heggen will also leave his current role by the end of the year, although he will remain a non-executive director of RTL Group, said the company.
Speaking about the changes, Martin Taylor, chair of RTL’s board of directors, said: “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.”
Rabe added: “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.”
