From the left: Thomas Mackenbrock (CEO Arvato CRM Solutions), Moulay Mhamed Elalamy (Spokesperson for Saham) and Thomas Rabe (Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann).
Bertelsmann and Saham plan to combine their respective worldwide
CRM businesses
Partners to each hold 50 percent of the new company
Global presence in 25 countries; leading market positions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Growth strategy, significant investments in further regional expansion and digital services for customers
G tersloh/Casablanca, September 18, 2018
Bertelsmann and Saham have announced to enter into a long-term partnership and plan to combine their worldwide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) businesses. The new company would employ around 48,000 people in 25 countries and generate revenues of approximately 1.2 billion.
Thomas Rabe, Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann: We are opening a new chapter for the Arvato CRM businesses. The new company would hold leading market positions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East as well as a strong presence in the Americas and Asia. It plans to invest several hundred million euro in the next years, to further expand its regional footprint and to enhance its digital capabilities and services to its customers.
We have a high regard for Saham and its founders, a family of impressive entrepreneurs and business builders. Saham has been an excellent partner to Bertelsmann since 2004 with deep expertise in CRM.
Moulay Mhamed Elalamy, spokesperson for Saham: Our Group has witnessed throughout the years the strong vision and the quality of the Bertelsmann management team. We are therefore delighted to take our partnership with Bertelsmann to the next level. Together, we are fully committed to invest long-term in growth, expand our regional footprint, provide digital solutions to our customers and create employment. The new company shall be well positioned to participate in the strong growth of the worldwide CRM markets, in particular for digital companies, telecom providers, and financial institutions.
The new company would have around 25,000 employees in 10 European countries, namely France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Georgia, and Estonia. In addition, it would have 14,000 employees in Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and 9,000 employees in Asia (India, the Philippines, Malaysia), and the Americas (Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Peru, Colombia). Its client portfolio would include blue-chip companies from around the world, including many of the largest tech companies.
The new company's chairman of the board would be appointed by Saham. The CEO, appointed by Bertelsmann, would be Thomas Mackenbrock. Following several years at McKinsey, Mackenbrock began his Bertelsmann career in 2006 and has held various senior management positions. Further appointments would be announced in due course.
The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and proper employee representative consultation process. The new company is expected to be formed by January 2019.
About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 119,000 employees and generated revenues of 17.2 billion in the 2017 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for entrepreneurship and creativity. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.
About Saham
Saham Group is a pan-African group operating in value-added services such as healthcare, real estate, education, and outsourced services. It has also built a leading African insurance group, which it has valued at USD 2 billion and sold recently to the Sanlam Group. The group was created in 1995 and has operated in 27 countries across the Middle East and Africa. Saham Group had a turnover of USD 1.4 billion in 2017 and employs over 16,000 people. The outsourcing division of Saham Group offers a modern, multilingual platform and operates in seven countries with over 14,000 employees. The Saham Group's values are rooted in customer centricity and operational excellence.
For further questions, please contact:
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
Andreas Grafemeyer
Senior Vice President Media Relations
Phone: +49 5241 80-2466
andreas.grafemeyer@bertelsmann.de
Saham Group
Meriem Haddaoui
Group Communications Director
Phone: +212 522 435 600
meriem.haddaoui@saham.com
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
From the left: Thomas Mackenbrock (CEO Arvato CRM Solutions), Moulay Mhamed Elalamy (Spokesperson for Saham) and Thomas Rabe (Chairman & CEO of Bertelsmann).
