Fresenius announces changes to Supervisory Board

• Wolfgang Kirsch nominated to become Chairman of Supervisory Board at close of Annual General Meeting in May 2021
• Dr. Gerd Krick to be named Honorary Chairman of Supervisory Board
• Michael Sen nominated to Supervisory Board, designated to take over from Klaus-Peter Müller as Chairman of Audit Committee
• Contract of CEO Stephan Sturm extended for additional five years

Wolfgang Kirsch, 65, a Member of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE since the start of this year, is to become the board’s Chairman. This was decided unanimously today by the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE. At the Annual General Meeting in May 2021 he will also stand for election to the Supervisory Board of the publicly listed Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, with the goal of assuming its chairmanship, as well. In both these posts, Wolfgang Kirsch is to succeed Dr. Gerd Krick, 82, who is not standing for reelection and will leave both Supervisory Boards when the term ends at the close of the Annual General Meeting.

In recognition and deep appreciation of his long decades of accomplishment and invaluable work on behalf of Fresenius, Dr. Krick shall be named Honorary Chairman of both Supervisory Boards.

Also at the Annual General Meeting in 2021, Michael Sen, 51, formerly a member of the Management Board of Siemens AG, will stand for election as a Member of the Supervisory Boards of Fresenius Management SE and Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA with the goal of taking over as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Klaus-Peter Müller, 76, will be stepping down from the Supervisory Boards at the end of his term.

The Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE also decided unanimously today to appoint Stephan Sturm, 57, to an additional five years as Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius. Stephan Sturm has been CEO of Fresenius since July 1, 2016, having previously served 11 and a half years as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

Dr. Krick has held top positions at Fresenius for 45 years, ever since joining the former Dr. E. Fresenius KG as Managing Director for research & development, production and technology in 1975. This was the beginning of a hugely successful period in which Dr. Krick, who holds a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering, played a leading role in developing the company’s first dialyzers and balanced dialysis machines, and helped make dialysis-related activities a core business of Fresenius. These opened the way for the impressive growth achieved by the company, which he steadily drove forward as CEO between 1992 and 2003 and since then as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius AG, now Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA.

The founding of both Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s leading provider of products and services for people with chronic kidney failure, and of Fresenius Kabi bear Dr. Krick’s signature. Fresenius’ entry into the hospital business, today under Fresenius Helios, and the acquisition of VAMED AG were further important strategic steps that were undertaken by Dr. Krick. Since May 2010, he has also served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE, following its establishment as part of the company’s change of legal form.

Dr. Gerd Krick said: “I feel great joy when I see the very impressive development of this unique company, to which I have had the privilege of contributing. I am grateful for the years-long teamwork with countless dedicated and talented people at Fresenius, and what we built together: A healthcare group of global importance. Through my role as Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board, I will remain closely connected with Fresenius.”

“Fresenius is very well equipped for the future, and it remains in the best of hands,” Dr. Krick continued. “With Wolfgang Kirsch, with whom I have worked closely and very trustfully since the start of this year, a very experienced expert, particularly in financial matters, will be succeeding me as Chairman of both of our Supervisory Boards. And with Stephan Sturm we have at the head of our Management Board an executive who has been central to designing and executing the strategy that has brought continued growth over many years, and who enjoys the complete confidence of the Supervisory Board. Together with his Management Board colleagues, he will continue to pursue the successful course Fresenius has set. In the name of the Supervisory Board, I want to thank my close associate and companion of many years, Klaus-Peter Müller, for his tireless efforts and his many important contributions to our company’s success.”  

Wolfgang Kirsch, the newly designated Chairman of the Supervisory Board, has been a Member of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE since the start of 2020, and was for many years an advisor to the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation. He also holds positions in the Würth Group and on the board of AGCO Corporation, of Atlanta. After joining the Management Board of DZ BANK AG in Frankfurt in 2002, he served as Chief Executive Officer from September 2006 to December 2018. The August 2016 merger of DZ BANK and WGZ BANK, to form the current DZ BANK, was carried out under Wolfgang Kirsch’s leadership. He began his career in 1975 as a trainee at Deutsche Bank before commencing studies in business administration at the University of Cologne. After graduating in 1981, Wolfgang Kirsch continued at Deutsche Bank, where he held a series of management positions through 2002, including in corporate and investment banking.

Klaus-Peter Müller has been a Member of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE (today Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA) since 2008 and is Chairman of the Audit Committee. Since 2010, he has also belonged to the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE. A highly regarded financial expert, Klaus-Peter Müller worked at Commerzbank AG from 1966 to 2008 and served from 2001 to 2008 as Chief Executive Officer.

Michael Sen was a member of the Management Board of Siemens AG, where he was responsible for the company’s healthcare and energy businesses, from April 2017 to March 2020. Previously, from 2015 to 2017, he held the position of Chief Financial Officer at E.ON SE. Michael Sen began his career at Siemens in Berlin, where he completed an apprenticeship before studying business administration at the Technical University in Munich. After completing his studies, starting in 1996 he took on a range of projects and management responsibilities at Siemens, and from 2008 was Chief Financial Officer in the company’s Healthcare division before moving to E.ON.