"Diversität leben - eigentlich ist das für uns alle Alltag. Aber diese Diversität wollen und müssen wir auch im Arbeitsleben noch konsequenter abbilden. Davon profitieren wir, Diversität ist heute Grundvoraussetzung für Erfolg!" Das Statement kommt von Herzen. Sehen Sie selbst!
Dear readers,
Without getting too sentimental, we can say: “An era is coming to an end!” On the 30th of this month, RWTÜV bids farewell to some of its most influential figures. Dr. Elmar Legge, who steered the company’s fortunes for nearly 40 years and shaped it in a remarkable way through his great personal dedication and commitment, is stepping down, as are Prof. Dr. Karl Friedrich Jakob and Dr. jur. Jürgen-Johann Rupp. All three deserve our heartfelt thanks and best wishes. Also in Ingrid van Bommel’s career a new chapter is beginning; she will become CFO of our largest subsidiary, Van Ameyde International. In this newsletter, we’ll share what her predecessor, Bob de Bruijn, will be focusing on in the future.
At the General Management Meeting in Düsseldorf, the managing directors of the RWTÜV Group discussed not only these personnel matters but also many other important issues for the future. One of them: our collective approach to the ubiquitous—and, thankfully, not yet all-powerful—AI.
We hope you find this an inspiring read. Best regards,
Effective April 30, significant changes will take place within the governing bodies of the RWTÜV Group. Dr. Elmar Legge, who has served RWTÜV and TÜV NORD AG for a total of nearly 40 years, is stepping down from his position.
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 assumed the chairmanship in February 2020. Thomas Biedermann pays tribute to his achievements with great respect: “Dr. Legge has had a decisive influence on the fortunes of our group of companies. We thank him from the bottom of our hearts and will miss his analytical perspective and his deep understanding of our group. We wish him all the best for the future, good health, and fulfilling new opportunities and projects.”
Prof. Dr. Karl Friedrich Jakob is also retiring. From February 2006 to January 2020, he contributed greatly to the group as Chairman of the Executive Board of RWTÜV e.V. and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV GmbH. He subsequently continued to serve in a leadership role as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV GmbH. Last but not least Dr. jur. Jürgen-Johann Rupp, Chief Financial Officer of the RAG Foundation and a member of the Supervisory Board of the RWTÜV Group since July 2009, is stepping down. Dr. Fabian Fechner, a member of the management board of RWTÜV GmbH, expressed his gratitude: “You have helped shape and develop the RWTÜV Group and our current stable position. We are very grateful to you for your inspiration and your reliable support.”
As part of the succession plan, Dr. Peter Sauermann, Dr. Hans Christian Atzpodien, and Elisabeth Bienbeck-Ketelhohn have moved from the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of RWTÜV e. V. to the Supervisory Board of RWTÜV GmbH. At the inaugural meeting, Dr. Sauermann was elected Chairman and Dr. Atzpodien was elected Vice Chairman.
Finally our thanks go to Stephanie Schunck (Board member since June 2012) and Matthias Hube (since June 2010), both of whom are also leaving the Board of Directors of RWTÜV e. V. They will be succeeded by Natalie Henßen of RWE Technology International GmbH and Dr. Stefan Bockamp of Uniper Technologies GmbH. Bärbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia was re-elected to her position by the General Assembly.
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, previously CFO, will lead the Marine & Innovation division in his new role as a board member, focusing more closely on Van Ameyde’s company-wide innovation strategy as well as the marine business. “We would also like to thank Bob for his outstanding work at Van Ameyde to date and wish both of them every success in their new roles!” adds Dr. Fabian Fechner, Managing Director of RWTÜV GmbH.
On April 22, the RWTÜV Group’s General Management Meeting took place at the CONSULCETRA office in Düsseldorf. The agenda, which was rounded off by a joint city tour the evening before, included a review of the quarterly figures, discussions on innovation and change management, the integration of AI into processes and workflows across a wide range of business areas, and continued work on the companies’ brand identity through “identify AS ONE.” Ingrid van Bommel, representing Van Ameyde, and Holger Mennigmann, a new member of the management team at IB Nordhorn, also attended the General Management Meeting for the first time.
Dr. Fabian Fechner explains: “Due to the challenging economic situation and crises in various industries, we must continually reinvent ourselves, adapt our service portfolio, and, through strategic change management, ensure that our employees and customers are on board. Regularly exchanging ideas on an equal footing strengthens our expertise and resilience.” The session on innovation management was closely linked to this, as new product or service offerings are key to customer acquisition and retention, as well as being assets when recruiting talented professionals. The group also discussed the selection of topics for the upcoming internal innovation competition and a strategic approach to the use of AI within the corporate group.
As a guest speaker, business coach Wibke Schindler explained the benefits of Profile Dynamics® in managing employees. Her presentation focused in particular on effective motivation, as well as on how to address resistance to change. Feedback was collected through a review of HR training initiatives over the past three years in order to determine the training offerings for the coming year.
Thomas Biedermann assessed the progress made in implementing the 2030 Strategy and introduced the next step in the move AS ONE initiative: All subsidiaries will showcase themselves at a virtual booth during an online in-house trade show. The interim theme is “identify AS ONE,” and its goal is for all RWTÜV companies to engage deeply with their brand essence, define and embrace their identity, and then present themselves effectively to their colleagues within the group.
RWTÜV defines the strategic use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a key success factor. Opportunities to streamline processes and enable innovative services should be strategically identified and swiftly capitalized on. Marcel Hellingrath, AI strategist for the RWTÜV Group, explains: “AI is a key lever for strengthening our competitiveness. It enables us to actively address the challenges of the future.“
The team at RWTÜV’s headquarters in Essen is therefore consistently urging its subsidiaries to engage intensively with the topic. Across the group, Marcel surveyed all companies for potential AI use cases in order to identify existing ideas, needs, and ongoing initiatives and to develop them further in a targeted manner. “Our goal is to leverage synergies, learn from one another, and support AI solutions across the group wherever possible. ‘move AS ONE!’ applies here — perhaps even more so”, explains Marcel. “We offer monthly AI calls. During these calls, we discuss potential AI applications and present specific use cases from our group companies. This allows us to create a platform for exchange, inspiration, and networking around the topic of AI. I warmly invite anyone interested to join the calls!”
The first AI Call took place on April 9, 2026. During the event, the Group subsidiary Enoplan presented four exciting AI use cases, some of which are already being rolled out. The next AI Call is scheduled for June 3.