Key Moments: Experiences in a Dedicated Life

"You always saw the world as your workplace."

In 2009, this was how Reinhard Mohn--the man who turned Bertelsmann AG from an unremarkable, postwar German business into a successful, international media conglomerate--described the professional dedication of his wife, Liz Mohn. Born into a seemingly hopeless world, this girl from Wiedenbrück, Germany, grew into a proactive woman who, following her late husband's death, now represents the fifth generation of Bertelsmann's ownership. She sits on the company's supervisory board, where for decades she has brought unconventional ideas to a traditional media empire, and she also serves as vice chairwoman of the Bertelsmann Foundation's executive board.
     In her new book, Key Moments, Mohn tells her remarkable personal history, recalling with great candor the difficult early years in Gütersloh and how she grew into her role at the side of her influential husband. She met challenges with curiosity and a desire to learn from her mistakes. Through it all, she followed her life's motto: Try it. You can do it.
     An active philanthropist, Mohn highlights the importance of every individual being accountable to a greater good while appealing to the social responsibility of the political and economic sectors as well. She makes the case that each of us is called to contribute his or her part toward creating a successful future. This, of course, is what Liz Mohn has done all of her life. In light of her efforts and successes, she is often asked, "How do you do it all?" Key Moments gives readers a fascinating insight into the answer.

Following the death of her husband, Reinhard Mohn, LIZ MOHN represents the fifth generation of the Bertelsmann and Mohn founding families. She is the vice chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung board. In addition, she has served as president of the Spain-based Fundación Bertelsmann since October 2005.  

Her other activities at the Bertelsmann Stiftung focus on the annual Carl Bertelsmann Prize, the International Cultural Forum series, work/life balance issues, and initiatives concerning corporate leadership and culture.

At Bertelsmann AG, she is a member of the supervisory board, where she represents the founding Bertelsmann and Mohn families. In 1999, she joined the Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft (BVG), which exercises the voting rights held by the Mohn family and the Bertelsmann Stiftung. She has been chair of the BVG executive board since 2002.

She is also involved in the Bertelsmann Relief Fund, the Medical Information Service, the German Stroke Foundation, and the Liz Mohn Foundation for Culture and Music, both of which she founded.