Years of Management Experience at the Highest Levels
BERTELSMANN
As a Board Member (1994-2002) he was responsible for the development of the strategy. As the CEO (1998-2002) of Bertelsmann, Thomas positioned the company as a pioneer of digital media and one of the major media conglomerates in the world.
AOL
Thomas led Bertelsmann's internet and digital activities and was responsible for Bertelsmann's joint venture with Aol in 1995. He then became Board Member of Aol Inc. (1995-2000).
INVESTCORP
From 2002 to 2005, Thomas led the European activities of global private equity investor Investcorp.
ARCANDOR
Thomas was appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Arcandor AG in 2004. In 2005, he was appointed CEO of Arcandor AG, with a 3-year contract to save the company. In 2008, his contract was extended by one year at the request of the employee representatives.
The New York Times
Thomas was Board Member for the New York Times (2003-2014). In this position he supervised the transition of the New York Times to a digital newspaper.
CURRICULUM VITAE
1984 - 1986
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1980 - 1983
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1975 - 1979
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03/2023
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03/2022
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09/2021
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10/2020
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09/2019
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Beginning of 2018
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11/2017
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11/2017
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05/2016
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05/2015
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11/2014
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11/2010 - 11/2014
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03/2009 - 10/2010
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05/2005 - 02/2009
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06/2003 - 05/2005
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1986 - 2002
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11/1998 - 07/2002
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07/1994
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07/1990
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03/1990
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01/1989
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07/1987
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11/1986
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2006 - 2014
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2010 - 2014
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2009 - 2014
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2003 - 2014
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2008 - 2009
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2007 - 2009
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2005 - 2009
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2005 - 2009
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2007 - 2008
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2005 - 2008
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2005 - 2008
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2004 - 2007
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2004 - 2006
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2004 - 2005
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2003 - 2005
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2004
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2000 - 2002
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1998 - 2002
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1999 - 2001
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1999 - 2000
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1998 - 2000
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1998 - 2000
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1995 - 2000
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Current
Since 2008
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Former
2008 - 2013
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2008 - 2009
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2007 - 2010
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2007 - 2009
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2006 - 2009
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2004 - 2009
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2003 - 2004
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2002 - 2009
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2002 - 2007
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2001 - 2002
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1999 - 2004
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1999 - 2003
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1999 - 2002
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1998 - 2002
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In 2007
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In 2001
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In 1998
Education
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Doctoral Thesis on Online Service and Retail at the University of Saarland, Saarbruecken Degree: Ph.D.
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Assistant
University of Muenster, Institute of Marketing
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Study of Business Administration at the University of Muenster
Core disciplines: Marketing and Information Technologies Degree: Business Administration (Diplom-Kaufmann)
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Professional Experience
CEO at Middelhoff Consulting GmbH
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Foundation of Middelhoff Consulting GmbH
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Senior Advisor at Mountain Partners AG and consultant in Switzerland and abroad
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Publication of the book "Future missed? Why Germany overslept digitalization. And how the crisis is helping us to catch up after all" together with Dr. Cornelius Boersch. The book was published in 6 languages.
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Publication of the book "Schuldig - Vom Scheitern und Wiederaufstehen," which also becomes a SPIEGEL bestseller
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Begins lecturing at the University of Innsbruck with the first lecture titled: "From Heaven to Hell". This is followed by many more lectures.
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Release from prison
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Publication of the book A 115. A 115 criticizes the conditions of imprisonment in Germany and in particular the form of suicide control practiced up to that time. A 115 became a SPIEGEL bestseller
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Commencement of prison sentence at the Bielefeld Senne Prison open prison system and works as an assistant at Bodelschwingsche Anstalten Bethel
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Release (seriously ill as a result of sleep deprivation) from pre-trial detention.
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Sentence with a 3-year prison sentence by the Essen Regional Court for embezzlement in the amount of €487,500 (27 out of 950 total flights, of which Thomas Middelhoff had privately paid for over 450 flights), in addition to a commemorative publication for Dr. Mark Wössner which 1/3 was paid privately by Thomas Middelhoff and VAT evasion in 3 cases in the amount of €26,500. Immediately after announcing the verdict arrested in the courtroom. The verdict and the circumstances of the imprisonment remain controversial in legal circles to this day
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Chairman and Founding Partner
Pulse Capital Partners LLC
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Chairman and Founding Partner
BLM Partners London, UK
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Chairman of the Management
Board Arcandor AG, Essen
(until 06/2007, KarstadtQuelle AG)
Head of Europe for Corporate Investment
Investcorp International Ltd., London, UK
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Bertelsmann AG (see below)
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Bertelsmann AG
Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann AG, Guetersloh
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Member of the Executive Board of Bertelsmann AG
Head of Corporate Development and Coordinator of
Bertelsmann's multimedia business, Head of IT worldwide
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Mohndruck (Chairman of the Managing Board)
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Industry Division of Bertelsmann AG (Member of the Board)
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Mohndruck GmbH and Calender Publishing Company (President)
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Elsnerdruck GmbH (President)
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Mohndruck Graphische Betriebe GmbH (Managing Assistant)
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Supervisory Board Seats
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Senator Entertainment AG, Berlin (Member)
(Chairman until August 2011)
3W Power SA, Zwanenburg, The Netherlands (Member)
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Marseille-Kliniken AG, Berlin
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The New York Times Company, New York, USA (Member)
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Germany1 Acquisition Ltd., Guernsey (Co-Chairman)
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moneybookers.com Ltd., London, UK (Chairman)
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Thomas Cook Group plc, London, UK (Chairman)
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Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH, Essen (Chairman)
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The Polestar Group Ltd, Buckinghamshire, UK (Chairman)
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Quelle GmbH, Fuerth (Chairman)
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neckermann.de GmbH, Frankfurt (Chairman)
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Apcoa Parking AG, Stuttgart (Chairman)
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The Polestar Group Ltd., Buckinghamshire, UK
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KarstadtQuelle AG, Essen (Chairman)
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Investcorp International Ltd., London, UK
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Avecia Holdings plc, Manchester, UK
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RTL Group S.A., Luxembourg (Deputy Chairman)
(traded in Brussels, London, Luxembourg)
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Member of the Board of Trustees, Bertelsmann Foundation,
Guetersloh
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Vivendi S.A., Paris, France
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Gruner + Jahr AG & Co., Hamburg
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Metro AG, Cologne
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barnesandnoble.com, New York, USA
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America Online, Inc., Dulles, USA
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Other Memberships
Member of the Global Advisory Board of the Oxford University Center for Corporate Reputation, Oxford, UK
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Member of the Advisory Council of the University of Muenster,
Muenster
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Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute of
Corporate Governance of the University Witten/Herdecke, Witten
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Member of the Advisory Board of NRW.Bank, Duesseldorf
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Member of the Naturallianz (a consortium of representatives from
politics, NGOs, business, media, science and culture that engages in
the sustainable utilization of the biological diversity around the world),
Berlin
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Member of the Advisory Board of BHF-Bank, Frankfurt
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Member of the VW Marketing Advisory Board, Wolfsburg
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Member of the Supervisory Board Olympia "Bid Committee
Leipzig 2012”
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Member of the Economic Advisory Board of RWE AG, Essen
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Member of the Fitch Ratings Advisory Board, Paris, France
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Member of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT),
Brussels, Belgium
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Member of the Board: Scientific Society for Marketing
and Business Management, e. V., Muenster
(Scientific Society for Marketing and Corporate Management)
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Co-Founder Global Business Dialogue for E-Commerce (jointly
with Steve Case, Lou Gerstner, Michio Naruto and other leading
business executives)
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Founding Member: Society of Friends of the Academy of Arts, Berlin
(Association of Friends of The Academy of Arts)
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Partner, BVG - Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft, Guetersloh
(Company Controls the voting right of Bertelsmann AG)
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Awards
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Role Model Award ("Bayreuther Vorbildspreis") of the University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth
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Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Achievement Award of the UJA-Federation of New York, New York, USA
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Vernon A. Walters Award of Atlantik-Bruecke e.V. and Armonk Institute (New York), New York, USA