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Rolf Schmidt-Holtz is currently engaged as co-founder and chairman of the supervisory board of the Just Software AG. As one of four co-founders of the incubator Hanse Ventures, established in 2010, his future attention lies on start-ups within the digital economy.

Rolf Schmidt-Holtz was named CEO of Sony Music Entertainment in February 2006. Prior to this appointment, he served Sony BMG as Chairman of the Board since August 2004. Before that he was Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG). At the same time, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz was a member of Bertelsmann’s Executive Board and headed the BMG division. He also served the Bertelsmann Board as Chief Creative Officer, member of the supervisory boards of Gruner+Jahr and the RTL Group.

Rolf Schmidt-Holtz has held top positions in almost every facet of the entertainment and media business, having worked as a journalist, TV editor and correspondent, magazine editor-in-chief and publisher, newspaper publisher and television executive. Prior to BMG, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann’s television division, CLT-UFA. He later oversaw the merger of CLT-UFA with Pearson Television to form the RTL Group.

In 1988, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz took over the Hamburg based Bertelsmann magazine Stern as publisher and was appointed editor-in-chief in 1990. During his tenure, he halted the publication's circulation decline and re-established Stern’s reputation for setting the political agenda and for expert investigative journalism. He also served as a member of the board of publishers at Bertelsmann's magazine division Gruner+Jahr from 1989 until 1994.

Rolf Schmidt-Holtz holds a Jurisprudence Degree in Political Science and Psychology from Universities of Erlangen and Kiel, Germany.