Bertelsmann Names Thielen’s Successor

GÜTERSLOH, January 22: Bertelsmann has tapped Hartmut
Ostrowski as its next chairman and CEO, succeeding Gunter Thielen effective
January 1, 2008.

Ostrowski has been a member of the Bertelsmann Executive
Board since 2002, leading the Arvato division, which has 47,000 employees in 37
countries.

Rolf Buch, currently CEO of Arvato Direct Services, will
succeed Ostrowski as chairman and CEO of the Arvato division and assume his
seat on the Bertelsmann AG Executive Board.

Current Bertelsmann chairman and CEO Gunter Thielen will
move to the Supervisory Board and will be elected its chairman. Dieter Vogel
will exit after more than 20 years on the Supervisory Board, 11 of them as its
chairman.