Press Release | Gütersloh, 12/18/2024

Bertelsmann Strengthens Group-wide Digital Health Activities

• Activities to be merged under Bertelsmann Education Group umbrella as ofJanuary 1, 2025
• Steep investments in fast-growing Digital Health sector planned
• Carsten Coesfeld additionally takes over responsibility for Bertelsmann Education Group from Thomas Rabe on Bertelsmann Executive Board

Gütersloh, December 18, 2024 – Bertelsmann is strengthening its investment activities in the fast-growing Digital Health segment by merging them under the Bertelsmann Education Group umbrella. In this set-up, Carsten Coesfeld will take over responsibility for the Bertelsmann Education Group from Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe on the Bertelsmann Executive Board as of January 1, 2025. Coesfeld is CEO of Bertelsmann Investments and has sat on the Executive Board of the international media, education, and services group since January 2024. In addition to Bertelsmann Investments, he is responsible for the Financial Solutions division. Kay Krafft will remain CEO of Bertelsmann Education Group and Relias. In the new structure, Krafft will further drive the expansion of Relias as the leading provider of digital education and training in the U.S. healthcare sector, especially in the areas of recruiting, risk & compliance, and quality management.

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe commented: “The Bertelsmann Education Group has written a fantastic growth story in the ten years since its establishment in 2015, and is approaching the revenue mark of one billion euros. Following this strong entrepreneurial achievement by Kay Krafft and his team, now is the right time to take the Bertelsmann Education Group to a new level with further investments. I’m very pleased that Carsten Coesfeld will be taking over responsibility for this on the Executive Board.

Bertelsmann Executive Board member Carsten Coesfeld said: “Over the past several years, we at Bertelsmann Investments have invested more than €100 million in innovative digital health companies and built a network of founders, companies, and funds in the growth industry of Digital Health – internationally, with a focus on the U.S. We are now bringing this expertise to Bertelsmann Education Group with its closely related businesses such as Relias, a leading provider of online education in the U.S. healthcare sector. I look forward to this endeavor and to working with Kay Krafft. Together, we will further strengthen and expand the Group-wide digital health activities under the new structure, while Bertelsmann Next will focus on the growth industries and business segments of HR Tech, Pharma Tech, Mobile Ad Tech and Digital Health Ventures.”

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services, and education company with more than 80,000 employees that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company generated revenues of €20.2 billion in the 2023 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.