Hartmut Ostrowski, who takes over as chief executive of Bertelsmann in January, has in past years been spotted by residents of Gütersloh, the media group's rural home town, sporting tracksuit and stubble as he walks the family dog.

Media people more glamorous than the 49-year-old football fan like to chuckle about such stories, as if a company dedicated to making money from artifice as much as substance needs a boss who, above all, likes to look the part.