Corporate Governance

Governance Documents

INDUS has been a proponent of Mittelstand sector values and principles for more than three decades.

Pursuing Exemplary Business Management and Control

Values such as transparency, fairness, and reliability, as well as ethical conduct in accordance with legal regulations, play a decisive role in corporate governance and control within the INDUS Group. The principles of responsible and good corporate governance, which are geared toward long-term success, determine the actions of the management and supervisory bodies of INDUS Holding AG. Efficient and trusting cooperation are just as important as transparent internal and external communication and the protection of shareholder interests. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board have therefore been following the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance Code for years. This code provides suggestions for good and responsible corporate governance based on nationally and internationally recognized standards.

The INDUS Board of Management manages the company and conducts its business. It develops the company’s strategic direction, coordinates this with the Supervisory Board, and ensures its implementation. Another duty of the Board of Management is to prepare the quarterly, half-yearly, and annual financial statements for INDUS Holding AG and the INDUS Group. The Board of Management consists of five members. More information about the INDUS Board of Management can be found here.

The current compensation system for the members of the Board of Management of INDUS Holding AG was approved by the 2025 Annual General Meeting with an approval rate of 98.74%.

Further details can be found in the current compensation report. 

The Supervisory Board of INDUS Holding AG appoints the Board of Management, advises it on the management of the company, and monitors its management activities. Information on the main areas of focus for the Supervisory Board’s activities in the past year can be found in the Supervisory Board report, which is included in the current annual report.

The Supervisory Board consists of twelve members. Learn more about the INDUS Supervisory Board. The rules of procedure for the Supervisory Board can be found here.

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on May 22, 2024, approved the compensation of the Supervisory Board members with 99.87% of the votes cast in accordance with Section 113 (3) of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG). Compensation is governed by Section 16 of the Articles of Incorporation of INDUS Holding AG, which can be viewed here.

Further details can be found in the compensation report of the current Annual Report.

The compensation report presents the compensation paid to the members of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board of INDUS Holding AG.

The Articles of Incorporation, the Corporate Governance Report and the Code of Conduct reflect the principles of responsible corporate governance and control at INDUS Holding AG. In accordance with the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance Code, the Board of Management and Supervisory Board jointly issue the annual declaration of conformity required under Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG) and make it permanently available to shareholders on this website.

Documents

Compliance is much more than following laws and rules, but this is at least the basis for it. A consolidated compliance culture can protect the company as well as stakeholders, preserve its good reputation and thus becomes an important quality feature.

Documents

Axel Meyer

COO Engineering
Axel Meyer (German citizen, born 1968) has been a member of the INDUS Board of Management since October 2017.

Until joining INDUS, he held various management positions at Schuler AG, most recently as Managing Director of Schuler Pressen and Head of the Service Division of the Schuler Group, Goeppingen, Germany.

Previously, Axel Meyer worked as a member of the Board of Management of the international management consultancy IMAGIN Prof. Bochmann AG, Eppstein im Taunus, Germany. He started his professional career in the Schuler Groups’ Solid Forming Division, initially in global sales and later as Division Manager.

Axel Meyer studied industrial engineering in Germany and the USA and earned a Master of Mergers & Acquisitions (LL.M.) at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management while working. 

Gudrun Degenhart

COO Materials Solutions
Gudrun Degenhart (German citizen, born 1970) has been a member of the Board of Management of INDUS since October 2023.

She has more than 20 years of experience in the management and development of portfolio companies in Europe, the USA and the Asia-Pacific regions.

Prior to joining INDUS, she served as the CEO of the German portfolio companies of the international service group ISS. She previously worked for the thyssenkrupp Group, serving as the CEO of the international business unit for special lifts, as well as the CEO of Materials Western Europe and Asia-Pacific . She gained experience in medium-sized companies as a board member of the construction technology company Schöck.

A graduate in business administration, she began her career by building up the Central and Eastern European operations of the construction specialist Lindner Group.

Dr. Jörn Großmann

COO Infrastructure
Dr. Jörn Großmann (German citizen, born 1968) has been a member of the INDUS Board of Management since January 2019.

Up until joining INDUS, he worked for the Dutch group Aalberts Industries, with his last position being the sole managing director of Impreglon, Lüneburg, Germany.

He previously held various positions at the Georgsmarienhütte Group, initially becoming managing director of Mannstaedt, Troisdorf, Germany and later managing director of GMH Edelstahl Service Center Burg and GMH Engineering. Before Dr. Großmann became the managing director of Buderus Feinguss, Moers, Germany, he worked as a development engineer and as a technical director for Doncasters Precision Castings, Bochum, Germany.

He studied material sciences and earned a doctorate in the field of natural sciences.

Dr. -Ing. Johannes Schmidt

CEO
Dr. -Ing. Johannes Schmidt (German citizen, born 1961) has been a member of the Board of Management of INDUS since January 2006. He has held the position of CEO since July 2018.

Dr. -Ing. Schmidt was previously the sole managing director of ebm-papst Landshut, Germany, a manufacturer of ventilation motors and fans. During his tenure there, his main achievements included advancing the development of new product platforms and the internationalization of production sites.

Dr. -Ing. Schmidt began his career at Richard Bergner, a manufacturer of electrical instruments from Schwabach, Germany. He initially led product development before rising to the position of managing director during his 12 years at the company.

Schmidt, who studied mathematics, gained an engineering doctorate in mechanics from the Technical University of Darmstadt. 

Rudolf Weichert

CFO
Rudolf Weichert (German citizen, born 1963) is the CFO of INDUS.

Before joining the INDUS Board of Management in June 2012, he was a Partner at KPMG for nine years. He spent three of those years in Detroit, Michigan, United States, where he worked mainly with companies in the engineering and materials trading industries.

Mr. Weichert, who holds a masters degree in business administration, worked for KPMG for about 20 years, primarily in the firm’s Duesseldorf office, where he worked mainly with multinational manufacturing corporations.