Realignment Firmly In Focus

In the lead-up to the Bertelsmann Management Meeting 2019, Bertelsmann Printing Group executives from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Britain, and the U.S. met for a one-day pre-meeting in Bielefeld. The agenda included information and discussions about BPG’s new market alignment in Germany, the division’s sharpened strategy, and the future structure of its businesses. There were also presentations on the performance and development of the printing plants in the U.S. and U.K., and on the business activities of the Deutschland Card rewards program.

More than 80 BPG managers accepted CEO Dirk Kemmerer’s invitation to learn first-hand about the developments of recent weeks. Kemmerer commented on the main market trends in the printing industry, explaining that “in particular, increasing price pressure and the replacement of print products by online channels have led to massive changes in the relevant printing markets,” said the CEO. “Going forward, we will address the negative effects of these trends by strengthening integration, expanding digital services, optimizing existing structures and processes, and expanding our market position.” The objectives to be achieved with these four strategic priorities were also defined: BPG is to become more integrated, data-driven, innovative, productive, and efficient.

To master the challenges resulting from the profound changes in the markets and the increased demands of customers, Kemmerer said the organization will be entering a company-wide change process. The task now ahead for the newly formed senior management team in Germany is to initiate this process of change and develop specific measures in dialog with the entire BPG management team, and to set the course for filling other management positions and setting up company-wide teams. “It is precisely this work that the senior management team has focused on over the past five weeks,” concluded Kemmerer. “We will take our time until the summer to fine-tune the framework conditions and will then provide comprehensive information to the entire organization.”