Rowohlt: Steffen Rau appointed Managing Director
Hamburg, January 15, 2026
Steffen Rau will assume the role of Commercial Managing Director of the Rowohlt publishing houses on March 1, 2026. He succeeds Christina Dohmann, who has moved to S. Fischer Publishers as Chair of the Management Board.
In his new role, Steffen Rau will be responsible for Sales, Marketing, Production, Controlling and HR, as well as the areas of AI and IT & Organizational Development. Beyond his responsibilities at Rowohlt, he will also serve as Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing the expansion of digital marketing activities for the Holtzbrinck Buchverlage.
After studying business administration, Steffen Rau worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. He then held various leadership positions within the Holtzbrinck group, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer on the management board of the Holtzbrinck Buchverlage. He brings many years of experience in strategic corporate development and digital transformation.
Nicola Bartels, Publisher at Rowohlt: “I am extremely pleased that Steffen Rau is now taking on the role of Commercial Managing Director of Rowohlt, as I have already worked closely and trustfully with him in his previous position. He combines deep strategic and business expertise with a great passion for our content and its marketing, which is an ideal combination for Rowohlt. I am confident that together we will continue to lead the publishing house successfully.”
Steffen Rau: “Rowohlt stands for outstanding authors, strong programs, and a clear publishing ethos. I am very much looking forward to building on the publishing house’s successful development together with Nicola Bartels and the entire Rowohlt team. It is particularly important to me to preserve the openness and innovative spirit of the publishing house and to continue developing them together. I am convinced that this will strengthen the visibility of our content in a changing media and industry environment and sustainably consolidate Rowohlt’s market position.”
Claudia Häußermann, CEO Holtzbrinck Buchverlage: “With Steffen Rau, Rowohlt gains a Commercial Managing Director who will continue to lead the company with a consistent market- and reader-focused perspective. Over the past years, he has played a decisive role in shaping the strategic direction of our group. His focus on modern brand management will sustainably strengthen Rowohlt.”
Translated from German.