Railway relocation process underway
Deutsche Bahn, the state-owned railway corporation, is on the brink of a leadership change as Richard Lutz prepares to step down as CEO. The search for his successor is underway, with several notable candidates in the running.
The comprehensive renovation program initiated by Deutsche Bahn aims to modernize more than 40 heavily traveled routes by the mid-2030s. However, the corporation has been posting losses for years, and punctuality in long-distance traffic has decreased from 78.5 percent in 2017 to 62.5 percent last year. These challenges have led to skepticism about whether a change at the top will solve the deep-seated problems at the company.
Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder plans to present a new strategy for Deutsche Bahn on September 22. The strategy aims to make the company faster, slimmer, more powerful, and more economical. The new strategy will be presented alongside the appointment of a new CEO.
Among the potential candidates for the new CEO position are Anna-Theresa Korbutt, currently CEO of the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV), Michael Peter (CEO of Siemens Mobility), and Evelyn Palla (Deutsche Bahn’s regional transport head). Anna-Theresa Korbutt is proposed by the passenger advocacy group Pro Bahn as a fresh leadership option due to her operational experience in public transport and her willingness to push for innovative reforms.
The new CEO will need political acumen and crisis management skills to navigate complex stakeholder demands and restore public trust. The Greens party does not believe that changing the CEO will improve the situation at Deutsche Bahn, but critics of the rail CEO hope for a chance of a fundamental change of course at the state-owned company.
Joerg Kukies (SPD), the former federal finance minister, is also mentioned as a potential successor. Philipp Nagl, the current head of InfraGo, is another strong contender. Other candidates like Andreas Mattha (head of Austrian Federal Railways) and Peter Fuglistaler (former Swiss Federal Office of Transport chief) have declined the offer.
The strategy for the railway company is largely complete, with only minor details to be clarified. The new federal government aims to restructure the supervisory board and management board of Deutsche Bahn to incorporate more specialist expertise and achieve a streamlining. The state-owned corporation's goals include becoming punctual, safe, and clean.
The departure of Lutz as rail CEO may not lead to short-term improvements in operational conditions. The search for his successor is ongoing, with Transport Minister Schnieder aiming to announce the new CEO and a strategic plan by late September 2025. The minister aims to present the new board chairman with the strategy in September.
Sources:
[1] Pro Bahn - Anna-Theresa Korbutt als neue DB-Chefin? (https://www.pro-bahn.de/news/anna-theresa-korbutt-als-neue-db-chefin/) [2] Handelsblatt - Deutsche Bahn: Wem folgt Richard Lutz? (https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/deutsche-bahn/deutsche-bahn-wem-folgt-richard-lutz/26769140.html) [3] Spiegel Online - Neuer DB-Chef: Hier sind die Kandidaten (https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/neuer-db-chef-hier-sind-die-kandidaten-a-125770273.html) [4] Tagesspiegel - Neuer DB-Chef: Hier sind die Kandidaten (https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/deutsche-bahn/neuer-db-chef-hier-sind-die-kandidaten/26783860.html)
- The comprehensive renovation program initiated by Deutsche Bahn, in an attempt to modernize more than 40 heavily traveled routes, will likely be affected by the upcoming leadership change in the finance-intensive industry of railways.
- Amidst political pressure and general-news speculation about the appointment of a new CEO, Anna-Theresa Korbutt, currently CEO of the Hamburg Transport Association, is proposed by the passenger advocacy group Pro Bahn as a fresh leadership option with the necessary political acumen and crisis management skills to navigate complex stakeholder demands and restore public trust.
- With the federal government aiming to restructure the supervisory board and management board of Deutsche Bahn to incorporate more specialist expertise and achieve a streamlining, the new CEO will need to work towards the company's goals of becoming punctual, safe, and clean, while also addressing the deep-seated problems related to finance, business, and politics that the corporation has been grappling with for years.
