The ex-CEO of Linken starts new job
Katja Kipping was long-time chairwoman of the Left Party and also Berlin Senator for Social Affairs. Now, a new task awaits her at the Parity Welfare Association. She will not only stick to her old themes but also take on the role of CEO.
The former chairwoman of the Left Party, Katja Kipping, will become the Managing Director of the Parity General Association. The 46-year-old confirmed on the X platform that she will join the management of the Welfare Association on September 1, 2023, and will take over the leadership of the department for Social Policy and Europe. "In the future, many things will be different for me, but one thing remains the same: the unwavering commitment to social justice," wrote Kipping.
Back in June, the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reported on Kipping's intentions to switch. "With the signing of the employment contract, it's official now," she wrote on X.
Kipping held top positions in the Left Party for a long time. From 2012 to 2021, she led the party together with Bernd Riexinger. From 2005 to 2022, she was a member of the German Bundestag. In Berlin, the native Dresden woman served as Senator for Social Affairs in Franziska Giffey's Senate from 2021 to 2023. She left the office after the preterm election in the capital and the subsequent government change there.
100 Years of Welfare Association
The face of the umbrella organization of over 10,000 charitable organizations has been Ulrich Schneider so far. The 65-year-old will leave office as Managing Director on July 31, 2023, as he retires. Joachim Rock will succeed him, as the Association announced at the end of April. Rock is currently Head of Department for Social Policy and Europe. The Association is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year.
Schneider was a member of the Left Party from 2016 to 2022. He left the party due to Russia-friendly statements by the former faction leader Sahra Wagenknecht. There had been years of disputes between Kipping and Wagenknecht beforehand.
Katja Kipping, having served as the chairwoman of The Left Party and Berlin Senator for Social Affairs, will now assume the role of CEO at the Partisan Welfare Association, continuing her commitment to social justice. With her shift, the position of Managing Director at the Parity General Association will be filled by Kipping, who will oversee the department for Social Policy and Europe.
