Matthias Dang hands over to Carsten Schwecke
After more than 30 years, Matthias Dang has decided to leave RTL Deutschland at his own request and by mutual agreement at the beginning of 2025. On 1 April 2025, Carsten Schwecke, most recently Seven.One Entertainment Group, will join the Management Board of RTL Deutschland as Chief Commercial, Technology and Data Officer. In this position, he will oversee all advertising sales, technological, data and AI-related activities at RTL Deutschland.
With his deep understanding of the media industry and its ever-changing challenges, Carsten Schwecke will further develop the advertising sales offerings of RTL Deutschland and Ad Alliance, together with Frank Vogel, Managing Director of Ad Alliance. One of his priorities will be the expansion of data and AI-based advertising technologies.
Most recently, Carsten Schwecke served as Head of Sales at Seven.One Entertainment Group and was previously CEO of Axel Springer All Media and Media Impact until the end of 2022. In this role, he already worked closely together with Ad Alliance and RTL Deutschland.
Thomas Rabe, CEO of RTL Group, says: "Matthias Dang has shaped the success story and corporate culture of RTL Deutschland for many years. Both in Germany and internationally, he established strategic alliances and partnerships for advertising sales, advertising technology and streaming at an early stage – and thus drove forward the digital transformation of the TV business. On behalf of the entire Executive Committee of RTL Group, I would like to thank Matthias Dang for his outstanding performance – and personally for our many years of trustworthy, loyal cooperation."
Stephan Schmitter, CEO of RTL Deutschland, says: "In Carsten Schwecke, we have not only found a leading manager, but also the ideal successor to Matthias Dang. With his many years of media expertise and his high level of professionalism, he is the ideal reinforcement for the new areas that we will be focussing on at RTL Deutschland in the coming years. We are delighted that we have been able to recruit Carsten for these tasks. At the same time, my thanks to Matthias Dang cannot be large enough. On the one hand, he has built up Ad Alliance and made it the largest cross-media sales house in Germany, and on the other hand, he has impressively demonstrated in recent weeks how friendly and cooperative a former Co-CEO can be in supporting his successor. In addition, with innovative advertising solutions and the early expansion of our data and technology expertise, he has created a highly attractive offering for the advertising market and a viable alternative to international tech providers. Matthias, thank you for a fantastic job and more than 30 years of pure passion, energy and innovation. "
Matthias Dang, Chief Commercial, Technology & Data Officer of RTL Deutschland, on his decision to leave the company: "I have spent more than 30 years of my professional life at RTL Deutschland. I have always been passionate about advertising, but, as a ‘digital immigrant’, tech & data have also been matters close to my heart. I am very grateful to everyone here for this wonderful time – together we have not only witnessed and helped shape the transformation of the media landscape, but have also turned every challenge into an opportunity and positioned advertising to be cross-genre and forward-looking. We can be really proud of that! I am therefore all the more pleased that with Carsten we have found someone who has the right mindset and who – together with Stephan and the entire management team – can give RTL Deutschland the continuity we need for the coming years and will continue to lead Ad Alliance together with Frank Vogel. My interest in new and innovative projects remains unchanged, but I have decided on a different life plan and look forward to being able to devote more time to topics outside the media industry in the future. However, my heart will always beat for RTL Deutschland and my fantastic colleagues."
Carsten Schwecke, incoming Commercial, Technology & Data Officer of RTL Deutschland, on his new responsibilities: "I am very much looking forward to my new tasks. It fills me with pride to be able to take over Matthias' tasks in the future and follow in his large footsteps. I would also like to thank Stephan and the entire management team for the trust they have placed in me, and I am looking forward to integrating the interplay between tech, data and marketing even more closely in the future and optimally positioning RTL Deutschland for future challenges."
