The Bookseller.com

1st December 2008

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Dohle to resist big booksellers

22.05.08

Incoming Random House c.e.o. Markus Dohle is expected to strengthen the publisher's defences against the "might of the retail chains", according to the German broadsheet Frankfurter Allgemeine.

The piece says that Bertelsmann c.e.o. Hartmut Ostrowski is betting on a "manager-solution" to the problems posed by the digial revolution: the book is a product, and should be sold as one. Bertelsmann's Gütersloh HQ is convinced that the books business can attain more than 10% in profit margin, with Dohle the man to deliver on the target.

The newspaper describes Dohle as a "blank page". Dohle has made a name for himself managing printing companies, but little is known about the "thickness of the umbilical cord that connects him to the book world", notes the newspaper. Born in Sauerland, and passionate about Westphalia, he is from liberal-catholic stock, has two children, plays tennis and is a fan of the North Sea island Juist.

The FAZ describes him as a "child of the company" - an industrial engineer by trade, who has quickly climbed the career ladder, as he is said to possess the "entrepreneurial gene". Ostrowski says he is "highly intelligent", a stirring entrepreneur, a "specialist of the saturated market", who can push even mature products.

It says that Dohle will have to concentrate on the US side of the business, as it delivers most of the turnover.

FAZ

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