Executive Board
Corporate Governance
The Executive Board manages Rheinmetall AG independently and on its own responsibility with the aim of achieving sustainable value enhancement in accordance with the law, the Articles of Incorporation, its rules of procedure and the Supervisory Board's approval requirements, as well as taking into account the resolutions of the Annual General Meeting. The Executive Board also determines the long-term strategic orientation, corporate policy and the structure and organization of the Rheinmetall Group.
Pursuant to Art. 6(1) of the Articles of Incorporation, the Executive Board consists of at least two members. The Supervisory Board determines the size of the Executive Board. At present, Rheinmetall AG's Executive Board consists of three members who manage the Company as a whole in accordance with uniform objectives. Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall AG's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), manages Rheinmetall AG together with Ms. Dagmar Steinert, responsible for Finance and Controlling, and Ms. Dr. Ursula Biernert, in charge of Human Resources.
The Executive Board members are jointly responsible for the management of the Company and are bound by the Company's interests and committed to sustainably increasing the value of the Company. The Executive Board members are responsible for the departments assigned to them. The Executive Board members are obligated to work together in a spirit of trust and must keep each other informed about relevant management issues and important planned measures in their areas of responsibility, including outside the monthly Executive Board meetings. The overall interests of the Company take precedence over the interests of the individual business areas. The Executive Board members are required to support each other.
The duty of the Executive Board members to inform each other enables the CEO to coordinate the departments uniformly and focus on the goals set by Executive Board resolutions. The CEO of the Executive Board also represents the Executive Board and the Company to the public. The CEO is responsible for communication with the Supervisory Board; he regularly informs the Supervisory Board about the course of business and the situation of the Company.
Responsibility for the divisions (Weapon and Ammunition, Vehicle Systems Europa, Vehicle Systems International, Electronic Solutions, Power Systems) lies with the CEO of Rheinmetall AG. In regular review and strategy meetings, the division heads report on current business developments.
The details of cooperation with the Supervisory Board are governed by the Articles of Incorporation and the Rules of Procedure for the Supervisory Board of Rheinmetall AG, which set out the transactions and measures requiring approval as well as the Executive Board's information and reporting duties. The CEO of the Executive Board is responsible for providing information to the Supervisory Board and its members. He regularly informs the Chairman of the Supervisory Board about the course of business and the situation of the Company and discusses with him the Company's strategy, business development and risk management. He informs the Chairman of the Supervisory Board immediately of important events that are of material significance for the assessment of the situation and development as well as for the management of the Company.
Based on the reporting, the Supervisory Board monitors the legality, regularity and efficiency of the management by the Executive Board. The catalog of transactions requiring approval issued by the Supervisory Board for the Executive Board lists the transactions and actions for which the approval of the Supervisory Board is required. This applies, among other things, to the acquisition and disposal of shareholdings, investment planning and the raising of bonds and long-term loans.