Bertelsmann : Record Number of Applicants for 10th Anniversary of Talent Meets Bertelsmann

Press Release | Gütersloh/ Berlin, 07/04/2017

Group picture of the winning teams at Talent Meets Bertelsmann 2016.

Immanuel Hermreck, Chief Human Resources Officer Bertelsmann, at Talent Meets Bertelsmann (2016).

• International careers and networking event from July 3 to 5 in Berlin
• More than 1,300 applications from 117 countries
• Launch of worldwide Alumni Hubs

The international media, services and education company celebrates the 10th anniversary of its international careers and networking event Talent Meets Bertelsmann this week. With more than 1,300 applications from 117 countries, the tenth edition of the format has broken all records. From Monday until Wednesday this week, Bertelsmann is hosting a selection of 60 top students for a program featuring workshops, a case-study competition and careers coaching. Participants will meet with Bertelsmann executives to discuss and explore digital business models and practical topics from the Bertelsmann Group.

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe said: 'Talent Meets Bertelsmann reflects our Group's diversity and creativity like almost no other event. Working at Bertelsmann means being at the forefront of shaping the world of media, services and education - entrepreneurially and in an international environment.'

The format has grown steadily since the first Talent Meets Bertelsmann event in 2008, and is now well-known among students all over the world. Over the past ten years, a total of over 5,000 students have applied worldwide and more than 500 of them have participated in one of the annual events in Berlin. Interested parties come from a wide variety of countries - from Argentina to Australia, Israel or Brazil. Besides Germany, most applications come from India, China and the U.S.

What sets Talent Meets Bertelsmann apart is that it is open to students with diverse professional experience and academic qualifications - from economic sciences to the humanities, Bachelor's and Master's students well as aspiring MBAs and doctoral candidates.

Bertelsmann's Chief Human Resources Officer Immanuel Hermreck said: 'Talent Meets Bertelsmann stands for fresh ideas and creative solutions on an international stage. Interest in this year's event has exceeded all our expectations. 1,300 applications from 117 countries once again show us that 'TMB' has become a real brand among students all over the world.'

To mark the format's tenth edition, Bertelsmann has created Alumni Hubs, an opportunity for former participants to meet up again in their respective regions. Meetings have already taken place in Munich, New York and London. Others are planned in Cologne, Paris and Silicon Valley by the end of the year. Of the more than 500 alumni, about a quarter are now employed full-time or have completed an internship or their thesis at a Bertelsmann company.

This year's workshops again deal with current challenges from the Bertelsmann divisions. In addition to 100 Talent Meets Bertelsmann alumni, several Bertelsmann executives are attending, including several members of the Executive Board and Group Management Committee. The best teams win attractive prizes, including several-day trips to international sites in the Group. A high-ranking panel of judges will evaluate the students' presentations. This year, it consists of Bertelsmann Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe, Markus Dohle (Executive Board member and CEO of Penguin Random House), Immanuel Hermreck (Executive Board member, Chief Human Resources Officer), Bernd Hirsch (Executive Board member, Chief Financial Officer), Julia Jäkel (CEO of Gruner + Jahr), Annabelle Yu Long (CEO Bertelsmann China Corporate Center and Managing Partner Bertelsmann Asia Investments), Hartwig Masuch (CEO of BMG) and Bert Habets (Co-CEO of RTL Group).

The three-day event, which as in past years will be held at Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1, Berlin, is the annual highlight of Bertelsmann's multi-award-winning 'Create Your Own Career ' employer-branding campaign, which was launched at the same time as Talent Meets Bertelsmann. Day Two of the event traditionally features an exclusive private concert with musicians from the Bertelsmann subsidiary BMG. This year, the band KMF will perform.

For more information:
www.talentmeetsbertelsmann.com
Twitter and Facebook: #TMB17

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 116,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.0 billion in the 2016 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.