René Beutner will take up his new position as Head of Corporate Communications at the Ringier Group on May 1, 2017. With his Zurich-based team, he will be responsible for communications activities across the broadly diversified media group in all 16 countries in which it does business. In this role, René Beutner will report directly to Ringier CEO Marc Walder.

In the words of Marc Walder, Ringier AG’s CEO, “We are delighted to have secured the services of such a proven communications expert as René Beutner. His experience in managing and developing traditional and digital communications channels and his international know how make him an ideal addition to our management team. I very much look forward to working with him.”

Over the course of his journalism and communications career, René Beutner has held a range of senior positions in large media enterprises and corporate conglomerates. A graduate of the Axel Springer School of Journalism, he also read American Studies, History and Politics in Berlin und Washington, D.C. His journalistic work included assignments as a reporter for the BILD newspaper and as a member of the political and in-depth reporting team at the daily newspaper Die Welt. In 2000, he moved to New York, where he worked in corporate communications for the Bertelsmann Group. In 2002, he was appointed head of the group press unit at Hypovereinsbank. He then established the European communications departments at payback operator Loyalty Partner and the Plus discount chain, now Netto Marken-Discount. He was subsequently appointed Head of Corporate Communications at Metro Cash & Carry, where his achievements included developing that company’s first social-media unit. Over the last four years, René Beutner has held the position of Head of Communications, Central & Eastern Europe at the Groupon e-commerce group, with responsibility for online and offline communications activities in seven national markets, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Russia. A particular focus of his work in this role has been on digital communications channels.

Danja Spring, who was appointed interim Head of Corporate Communications from January 1, 2017, will continue in her previous role as Deputy Chief Communications Officer from May 2017.

Ringier AG, Corporate Communications