Press Release | Gütersloh/Casablanca, 09/18/2018

Bertelsmann and Saham plan to Create Leading Customer Relationship Management Group

• Bertelsmann and Saham plan to combine their respective worldwide
  CRM businesses
• Partners to each hold 50 percent of the new company
• Global presence in 25 countries; leading market positions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East
• Growth strategy, significant investments in further regional expansion and digital services for customers

Bertelsmann and Saham have announced to enter into a long-term partnership and plan to combine their worldwide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) businesses. The new company would employ around 48,000 people in 25 countries and generate revenues of approximately €1.2 billion.

Thomas Rabe, Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann: “We are opening a new chapter for the Arvato CRM businesses. The new company would hold leading market positions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East as well as a strong presence in the Americas and Asia. It plans to invest several hundred million euro in the next years, to further expand its regional footprint and to enhance its digital capabilities and services to its customers.”

“We have a high regard for Saham and its founders, a family of impressive entrepreneurs and business builders. Saham has been an excellent partner to Bertelsmann since 2004 with deep expertise in CRM.”

Moulay Mhamed Elalamy, spokesperson for Saham: “Our Group has witnessed throughout the years the strong vision and the quality of the Bertelsmann management team. We are therefore delighted to take our partnership with Bertelsmann to the next level. Together, we are fully committed to invest long-term in growth, expand our regional footprint, provide digital solutions to our customers and create employment. The new company shall be well positioned to participate in the strong growth of the worldwide CRM markets, in particular for digital companies, telecom providers, and financial institutions.”

The new company would have around 25,000 employees in 10 European countries, namely France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Georgia, and Estonia. In addition, it would have 14,000 employees in Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and 9,000 employees in Asia (India, the Philippines, Malaysia), and the Americas (Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Peru, Colombia). Its client portfolio would include blue-chip companies from around the world, including many of the largest tech companies.

The new company’s chairman of the board would be appointed by Saham. The CEO, appointed by Bertelsmann, would be Thomas Mackenbrock. Following several years at McKinsey, Mackenbrock began his Bertelsmann career in 2006 and has held various senior management positions. Further appointments would be announced in due course.

The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and proper employee representative consultation process. The new company is expected to be formed by January 2019.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 119,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.2 billion in the 2017 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for entrepreneurship and creativity. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.

About Saham
Saham Group is a pan-African group operating in value-added services such as healthcare, real estate, education, and outsourced services. It has also built a leading African insurance group, which it has valued at USD 2 billion and sold recently to the Sanlam Group. The group was created in 1995 and has operated in 27 countries across the Middle East and Africa. Saham Group had a turnover of USD 1.4 billion in 2017 and employs over 16,000 people. The outsourcing division of Saham Group offers a modern, multilingual platform and operates in seven countries with over 14,000 employees. The Saham Group’s values are rooted in customer centricity and operational excellence.