Dear Readers,
Without sounding too dramatic, we can say: „An era is coming to an end!“ On the 30th of this month, RWTÜV says goodbye to Dr. Elmar Legge, Prof. Dr. Karl Friedrich Jakob, and Dr. jur. Jürgen-Johann Rupp. All three have accompanied and, in particular, shaped the fortunes of our group of companies for decades through their high personal commitment and dedication. They deserve our sincerest thanks and best wishes. A new chapter in her career also begins for Ingrid van Bommel; she will become CFO of our largest group subsidiary, Van Ameyde International. We will report on what her predecessor Bob de Bruijn will be doing in the future in this newsletter.
At the General Management Meeting in Düsseldorf, the managing directors of the RWTÜV Group not only discussed these personnel matters but also many other important future topics. One of them: our collective approach to the omnipresent – thankfully not yet omnipotent – AI.
We wish you inspiring reading, with warm regards
Thomas Biedermann and Dr. Fabian Fechner
Generational change
Significant changes are taking place in the committees of the RWTÜV Group as of April 30th. Dr. rer. pol. Elmar Legge is stepping down; he worked for RWTÜV and TÜV NORD AG for almost 40 years in total. From November 2004 to March 2006 and from July 2009 to April 2026, Dr. Legge served on the Supervisory Board of the RWTÜV Group; he took over the chairmanship in February 2020. Thomas Biedermann expresses his highest regard for his achievements: „Dr. Legge has decisively shaped the fortunes of our corporate group. We thank him wholeheartedly and will miss his analytical insight and deep understanding of our group. We wish him all the best for the future, good health, as well as fulfilling new perspectives and projects.“
Prof. Dr. Karl Friedrich Jakob is also retiring. From February 2006 to January 2020, he enriched the corporate group as Chairman of the Board of RWTÜV e.V. and as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV GmbH. Afterward, he continued to hold responsibility as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV GmbH. Dr. jur. Jürgen-Johann Rupp, CFO of RAG Foundation and a member of the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV Group since July 2009, is also stepping down. Dr. Fabian Fechner, member of the Management Board of RWTÜV GmbH, expressed his thanks: „You have helped shape and develop the RWTÜV Group and our current stable position. We thank you very much for your impulses and your reliable support.“
As part of the succession planning, Dr. Peter Sauermann, Dr. Hans Christian Atzpodien, and Elisabeth Bienbeck-Ketelhohn will step down from the Presidium of the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV e. V. and join the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV GmbH. At the constituent meeting, Dr. Sauermann was elected Chairman and Dr. Atzpodien was elected Deputy Chairman.
Included in the thanks are also Stephanie Schunck (member of the Supervisory Board since June 2012) and Matthias Hube (since June 2010), both of whom are stepping down from their positions on the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV e. V. They will be succeeded by Natalie Henßen, RWE Technology International GmbH, and Dr. Stefan Bockamp, Uniper Technologies GmbH. Bärbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia was re-elected to her position by the General Assembly.
Financial literacy
Effective May 1, 2026, Ingrid van Bommel will become the new CFO on the Board of Directors of Van Ameyde International B.V. She has served as the company’s Finance Director since 2021.
Thomas Biedermann, CEO of Van Ameyde shareholder RWTÜV Group welcomes the appointment: “Ingrid stands out for her analytical thinking, attention to detail, and impressive professionalism. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has accumulated extensive expertise and qualifications; she will make a significant contribution to Van Ameyde’s growth and profitability. “I’m also pleased to see the growing diversity on the board: nearly 50% of our employees are women, and this is now being reflected in our leadership team.”
Bob de Bruijn, the previous CFO, will now lead the Marine & Innovation division as a Board Member, focusing more on Van Ameyde's company-wide innovation strategy and the marine business. „We also thank Bob for his convincing work for Van Ameyde to date and wish both of them great success in their new positions!“ adds Dr. Fabian Fechner, Managing Director of RWTÜV GmbH.
Future planning
The RWTÜV Group's General Management Meeting took place on April 22nd at CONSULCETRA's facility in Düsseldorf. The agenda, rounded off by a joint city tour the previous evening, included a review of quarterly figures, topics of innovation and change management, the integration of AI into processes and workflows across various business units, and the ongoing work on the companies„ brand understanding via “identify AS ONE." For the first time, Ingrid van Bommel from Van Ameyde and Holger Mennigmann, a new member of the management at IB Nordhorn, also participated in the General Management Meeting.
Dr. Fabian Fechner explains: „Due to the challenging economic situation and crises in various industries, we must constantly reinvent ourselves, adapt our service portfolio, and involve employees and customers through strategic change management. Regular, equal-level exchange in this regard strengthens our competence and resilience.“ The innovation management program item was closely linked, as new product or service offerings are key to customer acquisition and retention, as well as assets in attracting interesting skilled workers. The selection of topics for the next internal innovation competition and a strategic approach to dealing with AI within the corporate group were also discussed collectively.
As a guest speaker, business coach Wibke Schindler explained the benefits of Profile Dynamics® in employee management. Her presentation particularly focused on persuasive motivation and also how to handle resistance to change. In a review of HR training measures over the past three years, feedback was gathered in order to then determine the training offerings for the coming year.
Thomas Biedermann assessed the progress of the Strategy 2030 implementation and presented the next building block on the path to move AS ONE: all subsidiaries will present themselves with a virtual trade fair stand at an online in-house exhibition. The interim motto is identify AS ONE and aims to encourage companies to intensely engage with their brand essence, define and embrace their identity, and then present themselves meaningfully to their colleagues in the group.
AI Strategy
RWTÜV defines the targeted use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key success factor. Potentials for making processes more efficient and enabling innovative services are to be strategically identified and rapidly leveraged. Marcel Hellingrath, AI Officer of the RWTÜV Group, elaborates: „AI is an important lever for strengthening our competitiveness. It allows us to actively address future challenges.“
Consequently, the team at the RWTÜV headquarters in Essen is calling for its subsidiaries to engage intensively with the topic. Across the group, Marcel inquired with all companies about potential AI use cases. The aim is to make existing ideas, needs, and ongoing activities visible and to develop them further in a targeted manner. „Our goal is to leverage synergies, learn from each other, and support AI solutions across the group wherever possible. Here too, perhaps especially, move AS ONE!“ explains Marcel. „We offer monthly AI calls. In these calls, both possible AI application scenarios are discussed, and specific use cases from the group companies are presented. This creates a platform for exchange, inspiration, and networking around the topic of AI. I cordially invite everyone who is interested to participate in the calls!“
The first AI Call took place on April 9, 2026. During the call, subsidiary Enoplan presented four exciting AI use cases, some of which are already in rollout. The next AI Call is planned for June 3rd.