Markus Schäfer to remain CEO of ZDF Studios until 2030
June 8, 2026 10.44 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

Dr Markus Schäfer will remain President and CEO of ZDF Studios until 2030 after agreeing an early contract extension with the company.

Schäfer has held this position at the commercial subsidiary of German public broadcaster ZDF since 1 July 2022.

According to the company, Schäfer and Co-Managing Director Karoline Meichsner-Sertl have reorganised the ZDF Studios Group in recent years, focusing on stronger synergies across its operations, more efficient workflows and the implementation of digital processes.

“Under the leadership of Markus Schäfer, ZDF Studios has been given a clear strategic direction in recent years. The group has established itself as a significant production and distribution partner with an international presence. The integration of production, distribution and digital business models has been continuously advanced. I am delighted that Markus Schäfer will continue to pursue this course over the next five years,” said Norbert Himmler, Director-General of ZDF and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ZDF Studios.

Schäfer added: “Our goal is clear: to position the ZDF Studios Group even more strongly as a relevant content and distribution partner. Together with Karoline Meichsner-Sertl and our colleagues across the entire group, we have succeeded in expanding our capabilities in the creation and exploitation of outstanding programmes. At the heart of this is closer connectivity within the Group, combined with a clear market and customer focus to unlock further growth potential. We have created the right structures for this – now it is a matter of using them consistently and driving them forward in a targeted manner.”

Headquartered in Mainz, ZDF Studios operates more than 30 subsidiaries and affiliated companies across production, distribution and media services. The group manages programme distribution, international co-productions, licensing and merchandising activities, and holds the world’s largest inventory of German-language television programming.