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June 25 - July 1, 2012 Edition

Bertelsmann strengthens South America Presence

São Paulo/Aughotlirnk News/ June 28, 2012 – The international media company Bertelsmann is accelerating its expansion in the world’s growth regions: Thomas Rabe, Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann AG, officially opened the Group’s new Corporate Center in the Brazilian city of São Paulo yesterday evening. The Corporate Center will be the contact point for the expansion of Bertelsmann's operations in South America. Earlier this year, in February, the media company had opened a new Corporate Center in India, and Bertelsmann has had one in China since 2006. Bertelsmann owns Random House in the United States.

Bertelsmann’s Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe stated: “Our new office in Brazil will strengthen Bertelsmann’s international network. It is crucial to have a central anchor in the three most important future markets for us – China, India and Brazil. The new Corporate Center will help to further develop our existing activities in this region and expand them into new businesses – for example, in the fields of education and digital media.”

Bertelsmann has already been active in South America for some time through its divisions. RTL Group’s production arm Fremantle Media currently sells a variety of popular formats here such as “Idol” and “The Apprentice.” The book-publishing subsidiary Random House Mondadori has operations in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay. Gruner + Jahr owns three Motor-Presse offshoots in Argentina, Mexico and Brazil, and G y J Televisia in Mexico. Arvato operates across South America in fields including distribution services, service centers and print. In total, Bertelsmann employs approximately 3,000 people in South America.

The opening ceremony for the Corporate Center in Brazil was attended by some 150 guests from the media, political and business communities, including the German Consul General in Sao Paulo, Matthias Ludwig Bogislav von Kummer. Von Kummer welcomed Bertelsmann’s increased commitment in Brazil: “It shows that Brazil and Germany share common values and ideas when a media company as broadly based as Bertelsmann opens a Corporate Center here – so I am delighted with this step. It emphasizes the importance of the growing Latin American market for international companies. I would like to wish Bertelsmann all the best and great success for its future projects in the region.”

Thomas Mackenbrock, formerly Senior Vice President of Bertelsmann’s Corporate Development department, will head Bertelsmann's new office in Sao Paulo. In addition to the office that has now opened in Brazil, Bertelsmann has Corporate Centers in New Delhi, Beijing, New York and Gütersloh as well as liaison offices in Berlin and Brussels.