Mathias Dopfner, chairman and CEO of European publishing giant Axel Springer, has been named to the board of directors of Netflix, the streaming giant announced Tuesday.
Axel Springer — which includes titles Bild, Die Welt and Politico Europe — is Europe’s largest digital publishing house. Dopfner has been CEO since 2002 and is broadly credited for pushing the old media giant into the digital age. Digital revenues at Springer hit $2.9 billion (2.5 billion euros) last year and now account for 80 percent of the company’s operating revenue (EBITDA).
“Netflix is one of a kind,” said Dopfner in a statement. “It has created a world leading entertainment service that continues to break new ground for the benefit of creators and consumers. A radically innovative culture and governance are essential parts of its success, and it is a tremendous pleasure and privilege to be part of this journey.”
A former director of Time Warner, Dopfner also sits on Warner Music Group’s board of directors.
“We are very pleased to welcome Mathias to the Netflix board,” said Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings in a statement. “His leadership at the vanguard of both European business and digital media brings us invaluable perspective and insight as we work to build and constantly improve our business all over the world.”
