The governing bodies of the 40 largest listed companies are changing more than ever before.
Sopna…who? Sven… how? Dorothea … from where? They are three of 30 new Dax supervisory board members: Sopna Sury has been monitoring the building materials group Heidelberg Cement since May, Sven Schneider the materials manufacturer Covestro and Dorothea von Boxberg the automotive supplier Continental.
They are typical representatives of a new generation of Dax inspectors: young, international, dynamic and independent. You also have operational responsibility. In his actual job, Sury manages RWE’s hydrogen business, Schneider is CFO of chip manufacturer Infineon, and von Boxberg heads the freight division of Germany’s largest airline, Lufthansa Cargo.
Sury, Schneider and von Boxberg, who were appointed at the elections of the most recent general meetings, represent the necessary transformation of the supervisory and management culture in the DAX companies.
>> Read also: International, independent and with expertise: A new generation is storming the Dax supervisory boards
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The supervisory boards of the 40 largest German listed corporations have never had more female, international and professional competence in top issues such as sustainability, technology and finance. And the inspectors have never been more independent and have shorter ties.
This transformation of German supervisory boards is right and important. Gone are the days of the so-called Deutschland-AG, in which a few multi-supervisory boards determined events for decades – with airs and graces, everything-you-have-been-experienced attitude, conspiring in loyal male associations and above all doubt.
Mandates on the Supervisory Board for two or three years are sufficient
The German economy is facing enormous challenges. Digitization has led to the transformation of entire business models in many places. Climate change to rethink sustainability. And the corona crisis was immediately followed by the war in Ukraine and with it a further aggravation of the energy crisis and supply chain problems. In addition, there is a skills shortage of unprecedented proportions.
In the case of these fundamental upheavals, a proven expert committee has to control and advise a Dax board on the neuralgic topics of sustainability, technology and financing. In addition, the supervisory boards must reflect social diversity in their biographies – firstly because it has been shown that diverse teams work better, and secondly because corporations with diverse management teams are more attractive as employers.
On top of that. The supervisory boards of the new generation must not be bound for years. Mandates last from two to three years. After that, it should always be checked whether further cooperation is in the interest of the group. Only then does it actually apply: you are in good hands.
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