A crisis is brewing at Bertelsmann, the European media giant, following a war of words between the company’s ruling family and senior management.
Tensions were stirred up last week when Bertelsmann patriach Reinhard Mohn gave an interview in which he criticised the ‘vanity’ of past managers. This, he said, justified his family’s majority control of voting rights.
The company’s chairman Gerd Schulte-Hillen responded by warning the Mohn family to keep out of day to day operational affairs. He also questioned their decision making ability and the two sides would appear to be polarised.
The Mohn family was largely responsible for the departure of former chief executive Thomas Middelhoff who has since been replaced by Gunter Thielen. Didier Bellens, an ally of Middelhoff, stepped down from his role as at broadcasting subsidiary RTL at the end of last week amid rumours of a rift with the management at Bertelsmann (see RTL Chief Leaves For Pastures New).
