- Supervisory Board proposes Frank Appel as successor to Ulrich Lehner
- Annual shareholders' meeting to decide in April 2022
- Tim Höttges to remain CEO of Deutsche Telekom for another five years
At its meeting today, Deutsche Telekom's Supervisory Board proposed Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, as its new chairman. He will stand for election at the shareholders' meeting on April 7 next year to succeed Ulrich Lehner, who is not available for a further term of office for reasons of age.
Ulrich Lehner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom: "In Frank Appel, we are proposing to the shareholders' meeting a leader who is one of the most experienced managers in Germany. He has a whole range of skills that ideally qualify him for his new role: For example, he has consistently driven digitization at Deutsche Post in recent years. He also has a strong understanding of doing business in regulated markets. In his previous role, he has shown how to position a company successfully in global competition, including outside Europe. I consider him to be an excellent appointment and would be very pleased if he became my successor."
Deutsche Telekom is also setting the course for continuity in the chairmanship of the Board of Management: Tim Höttges will be available to Deutsche Telekom for another five years. His current contract runs until the end of 2023.
Ulrich Lehner: "I am very pleased that we will be able to retain Tim Höttges at Deutsche Telekom for longer than previously planned. Like no other, he stands for the transformation and success of recent years. Over the past almost eight years, Tim Höttges - together with his team - has modernized Deutsche Telekom and consistently focused it on a course of growth and innovation. In the process, they have always exceeded their targets. With skill, tenacity and assertiveness, Tim Höttges has made Deutsche Telekom the leading telecommunications company in Europe. We are delighted to be able to keep our front man. He is Mr. Magenta and is held in high regard both inside and outside the company. His main task will be to systematically implement Deutsche Telekom's strategy over the next five years and further develop the company into the leading digital telecommunications company."
Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom: "I really enjoy my work at Deutsche Telekom. It's great that I can continue it beyond 2023. My curiosity, my willingness to change and my will to transform are unbroken. My thanks go to the Supervisory Board for the trust it has placed in me and, of course, to Deutsche Telekom's employees and Board of Management. Without your great support, the successes of recent years would not have been possible. We have important tasks ahead of us, and I approach the next five years with corresponding humility and respect. We know what we must do. Our goal is clearly formulated: Having made Telekom the leading European telecommunications company, we now want to become the leading digital telecommunications company as well."
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