Management Transition: Dr. Tanja zu Waldeck Leaves BurdaForward, Dr. Lydia Rullkötter Takes Over as Co-CEO

Tanja zu Waldeck joins TX Group in Switzeland as COO (right). Lydia Rullkötter and Daniel Steil appointed Co-CEOs of the digital publisher

(IN BRIEF) Dr. Tanja zu Waldeck, CEO of BurdaForward, is set to leave the company at the end of July to join TX Group as Group COO. Her departure marks a management change at BurdaForward, with Dr. Lydia Rullkötter appointed as Co-CEO alongside Daniel Steil. Dr. Rullkötter, previously Managing Director of BurdaServices, brings extensive experience to her new role, having been with Burda since 2012. Daniel Steil, who has been Managing Director since 2016, expresses gratitude for Tanja zu Waldeck’s contributions and looks forward to collaborating with Dr. Rullkötter and the team at BurdaForward.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 14-May-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Dr Tanja zu Waldeck, CEO of BurdaForward since the end of 2023, will leave the company at the end of July to join the Swiss media company TX Group on 1 October 2024. As Group COO, she will be responsible for the media business and group functions such as HR and finance. Tanja zu Waldeck joined Burda in 2012 when she sold her start-up netmoms.de to the then Tomorrow Focus AG. She subsequently held various positions as Managing Director, including at BurdaForward Advertising.

“For me, Burda has always been a home for entrepreneurs. I very much appreciate the great trust I enjoyed over the past few years and would like to thank all my colleagues at Burda for the wonderful time, all the valuable experiences and the friendships”.

Tanja zu Waldeck

Philipp Welte and Marc Al-Hames are jointly responsible for BurdaForward on the Burda Executive Board.

“With her clear strategic vision, Tanja zu Waldeck stands for the great success story of the digital division of our German publishing activities. We would like to thank her for her great work and are happy with her about the next step in her career”.

Philipp Welte, Executive Board Member Hubert Burda Media

“BurdaForward has always sought the best technologies for digital journalism. This distinctive climate of innovation is largely due to Tanja zu Waldeck, and we thank her for this”.

Marc Al-Hames, Executive Board Member Hubert Burda Media

Dr Lydia Rullkötter, previously Managing Director of Burda’s internal service provider BurdaServices, will take over as Co-CEO of the digital publisher on 1 June 2024 on an equal footing with Daniel Steil, who has been developing BurdaForward as Managing Director since 2016. Lydia Rullkötter’s successor as Managing Director of BurdaServices will be Rainer Nock, who has been Director Controlling for the past 10 years.

Lydia Rullkötter came to Burda from McKinsey in 2012. She was Director of Corporate Controlling at Burda Holding for more than seven years before taking over the areas of accounting, controlling, real estate and HR services as Managing Director of BurdaServices with its 170 employees in 2022.

“I am delighted to return to the operational publishing business as Co-CEO of BurdaForward and to actively shape the company together with Daniel and my new colleagues”.

Lydia Rullkötter, Managing Director of BurdaServices

Daniel Steil has been Managing Director of BurdaForward since 2016. As Chief Content Officer he is responsible for all journalists and the content direction of all the digital brands at BurdaForward. As editor-in-chief between 2011 and 2018, he turned Focus Online into one of the most widely read news portals in the German-speaking world.

“I would like to thank Tanja for the very successful years we spent together in the BurdaForward management team and wish her every success in her new role in Switzerland. For the future, we have a great team at BurdaForward that is capable of achieving something special. I look forward to shaping a positive and successful digital future together with Lydia and all our colleagues”.

Daniel Steil, Managing Director of BurdaForward

Media Contact:

Julia Korn
Director
+49 89 92503706
julia.korn@burda.com

SOURCE: Hubert Burda Media