- Thyssenkrupp's CEO, Henne, is set to replace Gabriel.
Thyssenkrupp - As per an announcement by the conglomerate on Tuesday, Ilse Henne, currently part of their management board, is set to take over as chairwoman of the supervisory board at Thyssenkrupp Steel. Henne is in charge of the materials division within the group and will be replacing Sigmar Gabriel in the role. The "Rheinische Post" also reported this change.
Recently, four members of the supervisory board resigned due to a breakdown in trust between them and the management board. Elke Eller, one of the shareholders, also stepped down, but no replacement has been announced yet.
The company stated that they will fill these vacancies "promptly" to ensure a smooth transition.
Henne joined the management board at the start of the year. Her appointment, along with Volkmar Dinstuhl, went against the wishes of the employee representatives, making the board five members instead of three. The IG Metall union viewed this as a significant shift in co-determination following the election.
On Tuesday, the IG Metall union board requested more influence from the federal and North Rhine-Westphalia state governments at Germany's largest steel producer. They urged the authorities to claim the two upcoming supervisory board seats, one for the federal government and the other for the state, to maintain a balanced distribution of responsibilities between the steel subsidiary and Thyssenkrupp. Given that the federal and state governments have invested 2 billion euros in Thyssenkrupp's green transformation, such a move would be justified and reasonable.
The IG Metall union, expressing concerns about the shift in co-determination, suggested that the federal and North Rhine-Westphalia state governments should claim two vacant seats on Thyssenkrupp's supervisory board, as they previously had representatives in the form of a trade union. This move would help maintain a balanced distribution of responsibilities within the company.
The trade union's request comes in response to the recent resignations and changes within Thyssenkrupp's supervisory board, including Ilse Henne's appointment as chairwoman, which sparked controversy due to her appointment against the wishes of the employee representatives.
