Ravensburger’s Dorothee Hess-Maier to celebrate 90th birthday
Dorothee Hess-Maier began her career at Ravensburger in 1959 and played a key role in shaping the company’s development over more than four decades, eventually becoming spokesperson of the Ravensburger Group’s Executive Board. The publisher will celebrate her 90th birthday on November 6.
Guiding Ravensburger’s transformation
As a manager and member of the owning family, Hess-Maier helped guide Ravensburger’s transformation from a publishing house into an internationally successful corporate group, working alongside her cousin Otto Julius Maier, who led the company for many years. Throughout her career, she placed particular emphasis on corporate culture, company principles and a strong foundation of values.
After training as a bookseller specialising in publishing, Hess-Maier gained experience in various roles and management positions, primarily at Ravensburger’s book publishing division, which she led until 1988. She subsequently served on the Executive Board and later became its spokesperson, a role she held until 2000.
Contribution to the group
Following her departure from day-to-day operations, Hess-Maier continued to contribute to the group as a member of its Supervisory Board, serving as deputy chair from 2006 to 2015. She also spent 17 years on the board of the charitable Ravensburger Verlag Foundation, which supports education and family projects.
Beyond Ravensburger, Hess-Maier held honorary positions in the book industry and education. She was the first woman to lead the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, the professional association representing German publishers and booksellers. Her contributions have been recognised with several honours, including the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class, the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Ravensburg’s Medal of Honour. In 2026, she became Ravensburg’s first female honorary citizen.
Hess-Maier remains closely connected to the Ravensburger Group and its ongoing development.