Corporate Governance

Supervisory Board

The INDUS Supervisory Board

Member since 2018, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Holzhausen Georgsmarienhütte, Germany, in 1960, German national, Vocational training as a banker
  • 1982-1998 Bank manager Dresdner Bank and Commerzbank, primarily in the corporate customers and investment banking segments
  • 1998-2008 Chief Financial Officer of the steel manufacturer Georgsmarienhütte (GMH), responsible among other things for the management of several subsidiaries and divisional director of the group’s steel/mechanical and plant engineering division
  • 2008-2018 Member of the Board of Management and Chief Executive Officer INDUS Holding AG since July 2012
  • Entrepreneur since 2019, founder of A-XELLENCE AG, CEO of the Windmöller Group since May 2024

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • Jürgen Abromeit has been the Chairman of the INDUS Holding AG Supervisory Board since November 2018. He is furthermore Chairman of Meditation Committee to Section 27(3) of the German Co-determination Act (MitbestG), Chairman of the Personnel Committee, Chairman of the Nomination Committee and Chairman of the Strategy and ESG Committee of the INDUS Holding AG.

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • Dango & Dienenthal Management GmbH, Siegen, Member of the Advisory Board
  • Wickeder Holding GmbH, Wickede (Ruhr), Member of the Advisory Board

Member since 2018, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Weilbach, Germany, in 1962, German national, vocational training as universal miller, skilled worker, study at Akademie der Arbeit
  • 1982-1987 Worked in universal milling
  • 1987-1988 Attended Akademie der Arbeit
  • 1988-1991 Trade union secretary of IG Metall Darmstadt branch
  • 1990-1991 Employment in the information and consulting offices of IG Metall in east Germany
  • 1991-2004 First authorized representative of IG Metall Gera branch
  • 2004-2011 First authorized representative of IG Metall Gera and Jena-Saalfeld branches 
  • 2009-2014 Member of the Thuringian State Parliament and economic policy spokesman of the SPD parliamentary group; member of the Economic and Innovation Council of the Thuringian State Government
  • 2011-2013 First authorized representative of IG Metall Erfurt branch
  • 2013-2023 Executive Board Member of IG Metall (responsible for Transnational Trade Union Policy, European Policy, Industrial, Structural and Energy Policy)

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2014, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Wuppertal, Germany, in 1966, German national, degree in Economics, PhD
  • 1998-1999 Employee at the Academy of Ruhr-University, Bochum
  • 2000-2011 Commercial Director Gebr. Becker GmbH, Wuppertal
  • Since 2011 Member and Spokeswoman of the Board of Management of Gebr. Becker GmbH, Wuppertal

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2018, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Calw, Germany, in 1963, German national, vocational training as geriatric nurse
  • 1983-1984 Production employee at ERA – Metallwarenfabrik Haus Nagoldtal, Calw
  • 1984-1990 Production employee at Bauknecht Hausgeräte GmbH, Calw
  • 1990-1996 Member of the Staff Council, Bauknecht Hausgeräte GmbH, Calw
  • 1996-1999 Chairwoman of the Staff Council, Bauknecht Hausgeräte GmbH, Calw (freed from work)
  • 2000-2005 Trade union secretary of IG Metall Offenburg branch
  • 2005-2012 Trade union secretary of IG Metall Freudenstadt branch
  • 2012-2015 Second authorized representative, IG Metall Freudenstadt
  • Since 2015 First authorized representative, IG Metall Freudenstadt

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board
  • HOMAG Group AG, Schopfloch, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2018, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Meerane, in 1962, German national, vocational training as industrial mechanic specializing in cylindrical, surface and profile grinding
  • 1981-1985 Toolmaker, Fahrzeuggetriebewerk Glauchau
  • 1985-1990 Assembly, punching and quality assurance at ALUME Glauchau
  • 1998-2018 Toolmaker at Karl Simon GmbH & Co KG, Aichhalden, Germany
  • Since April 2018 Deputy Chairwoman of the Staff Council of Karl Simon GmbH & Co KG, Aichhalden (freed from work)

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2019, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Freising, Germany, in 1967, German national, vocational training as office clerk, study of business law and engineering
  • 1986-1996 Sales BayWa AG, Munich
  • 1997-1999 Rosinger GmbH, Landshut
  • 1999-2008 Betonwerk Linden GmbH & Co KG, Wörth/Isar
  • Since 2008 Business lawyer at M.Braun Inertgas-Systeme GmbH, Garching-Hochbrück

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2018, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Schramberg, Germany, in 1968, German national, vocational training as wholesale and retail merchant, accountant
  • 1987-1989 Employee at W. Kirsner GmbH & Co., Zimmern o. R.
  • 1989-1993 HR administrator at Karl Simon GmbH & Co KG, Aichhalden
  • 1994-2011 Head of Human Resources at Karl Simon GmbH & Co KG, Aichhalden
  • Since 1998 Head of Finance/Controlling at Karl Simon GmbH & Co KG, Aichhalden
  • Since 2002 Prokurist (authorized representative) at Karl Simon GmbH & Co KG, Aichhalden

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2023, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Wermelskirchen, Germany, in 1971, Swiss national, studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, obtaining a degree in Industrial Management
  • 2000-2002 Various roles for ZF Passau GmbH, Sorocaba, Brazil / Vernon Hills, USA
  • 2002 KLINGELNBERG GmbH, Hückeswagen, Germany, Manager Business Unit Cylindrical Gears
  • 2003 KLINGELNBERG GmbH, Hückeswagen, Germany, Managing Director
  • 2004-2024 KLINGELNBERG AG / KLINGELNBERG Group, Zurich, Switzerland, Chief Executive Officer (2023-2024 CEO as Delegate of the Board of Directors)
  • Since 2013 KLINGELNBERG GmbH, Chairman of the Supervisory Board
  • Since 2023 KLINGELNBERG AG, Member of the Board of Directors

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • KLINGELNBERG GmbH, Hückeswagen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board*
  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • Since 2023 Member of the Board of Directors of KLINGELNBERG AG

*Membership in group company of KLINGELNBERG AG within the meaning of section 100 (2) sentence 2 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG)

Member since 2023, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Bamberg, Germany, in 1969, German national
  • 1985-1988 Vocational training as textile finisher in the field of dyeing at Ofa Bamberg GmbH
  • 1988-1993 Skilled worker in the dye works at Ofa Bamberg GmbH
  • 1993-1995 Textile technician school in Münchberg with the degree of “state-certified finishing technician”
  • Since 1995 Head of the dye works at Ofa Bamberg GmbH
  • Since 2000 additionally environmental officer
  • Since 2006 Member of the IHK examination committee

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2022, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1960, German national, Law studies
  • 1989-1990 Law firm Harald Besser, Lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) specialized in German civil and corporate law, Munich, Germany
  • 1991-2008 Specialist and management functions, as well as director functions at Bayerische Versicherungskammer and Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts, Munich, Germany  
  • 2009-2012 Member of Boards of Management of Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft and Öffentliche Lebensversicherung Berlin Brandenburg Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin, Germany
  • Since 2011 Member of the Board of Management / Since 2018 Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Management of the group companies of Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts, Munich, Germany:
    • Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts (Holding)
    • Bayern-Versicherung Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
    • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
    • Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
    • Versicherungskammer Bayern Konzern-Rückversicherung Aktiengesellschaft

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin, Germany, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board*
  • Saarland Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft, Saarbrücken, Germany, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board*
  • BavariaDirekt Versicherung AG (formerly Ostdeutsche Versicherung AG), Berlin, Germany, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board*

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

*Memberships in group companies of Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts

Member since 2010, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2026

  • Born in Cologne, Germany, in 1960, German national, skilled engine fitter, degree in Industrial Engineering
  • 1990 Assistant Manager to the Executive Board Klingelnberg Söhne, Remscheid
  • 1991 Assistant Manager to the Executive Board International Knife and Saw Inc., Cincinnati/Ohio, USA
  • 1992 Member of the Executive Board Alfred H. Schütte GmbH & Co. KG, Cologne
  • Since 1993 Managing Partner Alfred H. Schütte GmbH & Co. KG, Cologne

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board
  • DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, Cologne, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • None

Member since 2023, Expiration of term of office: AGM 2028

  • Born in Mainz, Germany, in 1975, German national, Business Administration studies (degree: Dipl.-Kffr.), Master of Science studies and degree (degree: MSc)
  • 2000-2003 University of Regensburg, PhD
  • 2004-2007 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Post-doctoral thesis
  • Since 2009 Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany (W3), Chairwoman of Strategy and Organization

Memberships in domestic statutory supervisory boards:

  • CANCOM SE, Munich, Member of the Supervisory Board, Member of the Audit Committee
  • INDUS Holding AG, Bergisch Gladbach, Member of the Supervisory Board

Memberships in any comparable domestic or international controlling bodies of commercial enterprises:

  • Deloitte Deutschland GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Munich, Member of the Supervisory Board, Member of the Human Resources Committee
* Employee Representative

Committees

Nomination Committee

Jürgen Abromeit (Chairman)
Barbara Schick (Financial Expert)
Carl Martin Welcker

Personnel Committee

Jürgen Abromeit (Chairman)
Dr. Dorothee Becker
Dorothee Diehm
Wolfgang Lemb

Strategy and ESG Committee

Jürgen Abromeit (Chairman)
Cornelia Holzberger
Jan Klingelnberg
Wolfgang Lemb

Audit Committee

Barbara Schick (Financial Expert) (Chairwoman)
Gerold Klausmann (Financial Expert)
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Isabell M. Welpe (Financial Expert)

Meditation Committee to Section 27 (3) of the German Co-determination Act (MitbestG)

Jürgen Abromeit (Chairman)
Pia Fischinger
Wolfgang Lemb
Barbara Schick (Financial Expert)

Qualification matrix Supervisory Board

Report of the Supervisory Board

The Report of the Supervisory Board informs about the cooperation between the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board, meetings and primary topics and the committees’ work in the last fiscal year, as well as the discussion on the annual financial statements and dividend recommendation.

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 Group's 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, USA and the Asia-Pacific regions.

Before joining INDUS, Gudrun Degenhart was CEO for the German portfolio companies of the international service group ISS. She previously worked for the thyssenkrupp Group, including as CEO of the international business unit for special lifts and as 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 activities 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 assumed 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 these 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.