Business

Jan Wachtel leaves Burda Media's media division after six months over strategic disagreement

Herz — Business Desk · 13 July 2026 at 19:48 · 30s summary · 4 min read

The essentials

Jan Wachtel, head of Hubert Burda Media's media division (8,600 employees, 449 titles), stepped down in June 2026 after approximately six months in the role, according to Handelsblatt. Burda announced his departure on the eve of a press inquiry from the German business daily. The official reason: inability to achieve consensus on the division's strategic direction. Wachtel's strategic plan, developed with external consultancy OC&C Strategy Consultants, was reportedly rejected by shareholders before even being presented to internal teams. He is succeeded by Elisabeth Varn. No decisions on staff or portfolio will be made until the new strategy is finalized.

Jan Wachtel quits Burda Media in June 2026 after just six months heading the media division
Strategic deadlock: OC&C Strategy Consultants' plan rejected by shareholders before staff presentation
Around 30 jobs cut in May 2026 with closure of Burda Studios production unit
Elisabeth Varn takes over as media division chief; new strategy co-led with CFO Lydia Rullkötter
No announcements on staffing or portfolio until strategy is finalized

Journalistic sketch illustration: a media group director carrying a briefcase leaves a boardroom, rejected strategy documents scattered across the long conference table, while colleagues remain seated without watching him go. — Illustration image — Lost in the Jungle

What we know

Jan Wachtel, head of Hubert Burda Media's media division (Mediensparte), stepped down in June 2026 after approximately six months in post, according to Handelsblatt. His departure was announced hastily by the group on the eve of a press inquiry from the German business daily.

The official reason cited by Burda for Wachtel's departure is the inability to achieve 'sufficient consensus on the future strategic direction' of the media division.

sufficient consensus on the future strategic direction
— Hubert Burda Media, cited by Handelsblatt

Internal tensions over strategy

To define the media division's strategy, Wachtel commissioned OC&C Strategy Consultants, an international strategy consulting firm specializing in media and retail sectors. The editors-in-chief of flagship brands Focus and Bunte were not involved in this process.

The consultancy's findings were reportedly rejected at board level before even being presented to internal teams.

Wachtel had also hired Stefan Ottlitz, former co-CEO of Spiegel-Verlag and expert in paid content strategies, as digital chief. Shareholders reportedly did not approve this appointment; Ottlitz's arrival at Burda remains uncertain.

Job cuts and partial restructuring

In May 2026, Wachtel closed the Burda Studios production unit, eliminating around 30 jobs.

Tichys Einblick, a right-leaning German online news and opinion portal, had reported a plan to cut around 300 editorial jobs. Handelsblatt disputes this figure, asserting that no such plan ever existed at that scale.

Succession and next steps

Elisabeth Varn, known as 'Eli' and former co-CEO of Burda-Verlag, has been appointed as Wachtel's successor heading the media division. The new strategy is being developed jointly with CFO Lydia Rullkötter.

According to a group spokesperson, no concrete measures—regarding staffing or portfolio—will be announced until the strategy is finalized. Burda is examining the future of HolidayCheck, its hotel comparison and travel booking platform, among other assets.

Context: a group under digital pressure

Hubert Burda Media, founded in 1908 in Offenburg, employs 8,600 people and holds a portfolio of 449 media titles. According to Handelsblatt, none of these titles are currently in growth mode, a sign of structural pressure bearing down on the group amid the digital transition.

BurdaForward, Burda's digital subsidiary operating Focus Online, Chip.de and TV Spielfilm.de, has relied heavily on Google organic search traffic without building direct, lasting relationships with readers. This dependency represents a structural weakness compounded by repeated Google algorithm updates since 2022.