MediaForEurope opened new offices in Germany and hired Katharina Behrends

MediaForEurope (MFE), the pan-European group formerly known as Mediaset, announced the appointment of Katharina Behrends as General Manager for the German speaking region (DACH). Joining the company on October 1, 2022, Katharina Behrends will be responsible for overseeing the group’s corporate engagement and activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and will work closely with and report to the MFE executive board. Moreover, she will lead efforts to significantly expand MFE's presence in the region and open a German office in Munich.

The DACH region is one of Europe’s most important markets for MediaForEurope and, according to the company, central to building European media alliances. The group has been active in the German-speaking region for many years, illustrated by its role as a long-term major shareholder in ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE amongst other activities.

Katharina Behrends is a renowned industry expert with extensive international experience. Over the past 15 years, she has held several leadership positions at NBC Universal Networks, where, in her capacity as Managing Director, she successfully built and led the business in the DACH region. She was also responsible for Eastern Europe and the Benelux region in her role as Managing Director for Central and Eastern Europe. Her remit included establishing in-house productions, as well as free TV, pay TV, and streaming. Specializing in transformation and developing new digital business models, she played a pivotal role in successfully establishing the pay TV business model in the German-speaking region and other parts of Europe. Behrends started her career as a Legal Counsel at Sky Deutschland, and has also held leadership positions at Viacom and A+E Networks.

“MediaForEurope is an exciting, forward-thinking media company, and I am thrilled to join at such a critical point in time for the European media industry. European media companies need to collaborate more closely and develop strategies to stay competitive with international media conglomerates and streaming giants. I am committed to supporting MFE to grow its presence in the German-speaking region through constructive dialogue with partners and stakeholders. Together, we will create the European answer to increasing international competition in the media industry. We will develop innovative business models that secure long-term success, growth, and future expansion,”  said Katharina Behrends, General Manager at MediaForEurope.

Marco Giordani, CFO of MediaForEurope, added: “We are pleased to welcome Katharina Behrends to our executive team. She is an experienced and internationally-respected leader. With her strong network and excellent knowledge of the German-speaking and European media industry, she will play a vital role in building a pan-European media group. Our goal is to further expand and establish MFE as a leading European media player. We significantly invest in local content guaranteeing the editorial independence and cultural diversity of national content and a practice of editorial independence of each country, as the case of Mediaset España of the MFE Group has shown for over 30 years.”