credit: Frederike van der Straeten
BMG has named Johannes von Schwarzkopf as chief strategy officer and executive board member, effective January 1. Reporting to CEO Thomas Coesfeld, von Schwarzkopf will oversee global strategy, identify new business opportunities, including M&A, and lead BMG’s global licensing and synch operations.
Since joining BMG in 2021, and gaining a promotion to senior vp of corporate development a year ago, the Berlin-based executive has played a pivotal role in Finance and M&A, driving BMG’s Boost investment program and co-developing the transformative BMG Next strategy. Launched in 2023, BMG Next emphasizes a localized yet globally scalable approach, or as Coesfeld put it: “local where necessary, global where possible.” He has also advanced partnerships and spearheaded generative AI initiatives.
Before BMG, von Schwarzkopf worked as an M&A advisor at EY and in media sales at advertising tech company Taboola. He holds a master’’’s in international management from ESADE Business School.
CEO Thomas Coesfeld praised von Schwarzkopf’s strategic insight, highlighting his contributions to BMG Next and his ability to deliver results through innovation. “I am confident Johannes will continue to drive growth and strengthen our position as a leader in the global music industry,” Coesfeld said.
Von Schwarzkopf expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s an honor to take on this role. I’m excited to collaborate with our teams to build on our successes and establish BMG as an innovation leader in the music industry.”
