Marco Giordani, financial director of MFE-MediaForEurope, supported by the Berlusconi family, has been appointed
new CEO of German company ProSiebenSat.1, succeeding Bert Habets in a management shake-up at the German broadcasting giant.
Habets, former CEO of RTL Group, had been named boss of ProSiebenSat.1 in 2022. He has now resigned after MFE closed a takeover bid for ProSieben in September, securing a 75.1% stake in the Munich company in a deal worth 1.8 billion euros ($2.11 billion).
“Bert Habets is handing over his role as CEO to Marco Giordani by mutual agreement and will take on the role of senior advisor to ProSiebenSat.1 with a particular focus on a transparent transition period until the end of the year,” said a statement from ProSiebenSat.1.
Bob Rajan, chief executive of equity investment firm Alvarez & Marsal, is named interim chief financial officer while Markus Breitenecker, a 30-year veteran of the firm, steps down as chief operating officer.
According to research firm Enders Analysis, the Prosieben takeover makes MFE Europe’s largest free-to-air broadcaster, with a turnover of 6.8 billion euros ($7.92 billion). In addition to its German operations, ProSiebenSat.1 also operates in Austria and Switzerland, while MFE manages TV operations in Italy and Spain.
The leadership changes “underline the commitment to accelerate the strategic transformation of ProSiebenSat.1,” according to the statement. MFE is currently implementing its plan to integrate the German media company into its existing activities.
“We warmly welcome Marco Giordani as CEO of ProSiebenSat.1,” Maria Kyriacou, chairwoman of the supervisory board of ProSiebenSat.1, said in a statement. “His appointment reflects the ambition to further accelerate strategic transformation with a clear focus on excellence and a leading position in the entertainment market.”
She added: “I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Bert Habets for his leadership and strong commitment during a period of decisive transformation for ProSiebenSat.1. He has been the driving force behind our strategic shift towards entertainment.”
Giordani has been CFO of MFE since 2000, where he played a key role in the expansion strategy of the Berlusconi family group. Before serving as MFE’s CFO, Giordani held senior positions at Berlusconi’s Mediaset. He will continue to serve as MFE’s Chief Financial Officer.
