Czech PPF gains seat on ProSiebenSat.1 board

Klara Brachtlova

In a sign of Czech investor PPF’s growing clout as a shareholder in ProSiebenSat.1, ex-CME exec Klara Brachtlova is to take a seat on the German broadcaster’s board, replacing Erik Huggers, whose nine-year term has come to an end.

PPF Group holds 11.6% of the share capital of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE along with financial instruments that give it a further 3.43% of the shares.

“Against this background, the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board deem a consideration of the PPF Group in the Supervisory Board corresponding to the shareholding of the PPF Group in ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE to be appropriate,” said the broadcaster.

Brachtlova is Chief External Affairs of the Central and Eastern European media group CME is owned by PPF Group. Brachtlova was Co-CEO and CFO of CME’s Czech broadcaster TV Nova and, as executive director of Nova TV, was recently responsible for the launch of the digital streaming platform Voyo in the Czech market. ProSiebenSat.1 said that she is also a proven financial expert as an auditor and tax advisor, as well as a member of the ACCA.

The broadcaster said that Huggers has decided to step down from the supervisory board on June 30, 2023 to focus on his activities as Senior Advisor to EQT Group and Chairman of several portfolio companies.

Andreas Wiele, chairman of the group’s supervisory board said: “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I want to thank Erik for his successful work, commitment, and constructive support for ProSiebenSat.1 over the past nine years. We wish him all the best for the future.”

The move means that a total of five positions will be filled on the Supervisory Board in the near future. For the four members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting on June 30, the Supervisory Board had proposed Katharina Behrends, Katrin Burkhardt, Thomas Ingelfinger and Cai-Nicolas Ziegler.