Separated at Birth? Not

When change comes to Random House, it comes quickly. Just yesterday an insider confided that while she didn’t know who the new Chairman and CEO would be, the one thing she was sure of was that he’d be nothing like Peter Olson. As it turns out – excepting similarly long careers with the Gutersloh-based company – she was exactly right.    A comparison

Peter Olson: Nationality: American (but some say

“more German than the Germans”)

Markus Dohle: German. Moving to US for first time this summer.                                  

Age:

Olson:  58 (or “near 60,” as he said in his goodbye letter)

Dohle: : 39, suitable for PW’s “50 under 40 series.”

Joined Bertelsmann: 

Olson: 1988                            

Dohle: 1994

Important  Life Goal:

Olson:  “To someday make books the center of my life.”

Dohle: “To join together in identifying new growth opportunities and tap additional potential which we will develop from our core businesses”

Next Move:

Olson: To get a teaching job at a university “nearby” Harvard Square

Dohle: “To join together in identifying new growth opportunities and tap additional potential which we will develop from our core businesses”

Likelihood of Success in new venture:

Olson: Good

Dohle: Good luck.