Change at the top of the ZF Supervisory Board

“The shareholders welcome the election of Dr. Rolf Breidenbach as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ZF. With his many years of varied experience in the automotive and automotive supplier industry, he is exceptionally well qualified to constructively support the demanding transformation process of the group,” explained Friedrichshafen's Lord Mayor Simon Blümcke, as representative of the Zeppelin Foundation, which holds 93.8 percent of the shares in ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

Born in Bochum, Breidenbach studied mechanical engineering and economics at RWTH Aachen University, where he also completed a doctorate in mechanical engineering. He then worked in the industry and for a technical service provider. From 1995 to 2003, he worked for the management consultancy McKinsey, where he was a partner for the last four years. From early 2004 until 2022, he was CEO of Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA, a global company in the automotive supply industry best known for its lighting technology and electronics. Breidenbach has been a member of the ZF Supervisory Board since March 2023.

Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger has been a member of the ZF Supervisory Board since January 2021 and took over as its chairman at the beginning of 2022. “We are greatly indebted to Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger,” said Simon Blümcke, representing the Zeppelin Foundation. “With his many years of wide-ranging experience in leading positions at major industrial companies, he has constructively supported the Group in the recent challenging years and provided significant impetus. The members of the Supervisory Board thank Dr. Hiesinger for his outstanding work and achievements as Chairman of the Supervisory Board.”

Hiesinger had indicated at an early stage to the then-newly elected Lord Mayor of Friedrichshafen, Blümcke, that he would not be available for a second term after March 2028 due to his personal plans for the future. It is not expected that all the key decisions for the future of ZF will be implemented by this time. In order to avoid a change in the chairmanship of the Supervisory Board in the middle of this crucial phase of the transformation and to enable a long-term solution now, Hiesinger had offered to make his office and mandate available prematurely. “After careful consideration and in close consultation, the two ZF shareholders, the Zeppelin and Ulderup Foundation, accepted the offer,” said Simon Blümcke. “We are very grateful to Dr. Hiesinger for the opportunity to hand over the management of the Supervisory Board at an early stage.”

The vacant position on the ZF Supervisory Board is to be filled by Ingrid Jägering, who will shortly be elected to the Supervisory Board by the General Meeting of ZF Friedrichshafen AG. The 58-year-old is currently CFO at the power tool manufacturer Stihl AG. She started her career at Siemens AG in 1986 and has spent her entire professional career in well-known industrial companies – in leading positions from the Siemens Group and various subsidiaries to MAN and Leoni, and now in her current position on the board at Stihl.

“Ingrid Jägering will provide valuable impetus to the ZF Supervisory Board in challenging times with her exceptionally broad industry know-how and her extensive commercial and financial expertise,” said the new chairman of the Supervisory Board, Rolf Breidenbach. “We look forward to her advice and to working with her on our board.”