Kley (66), holds a doctorate in law and has been a member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since 2013. From 1998 to 2006, he was CFO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG before becoming a member of the executive board of Merck KGaA from 2006 to 2016, serving as its chairman since 2007.
Says Mayrhuber: "In the interest of continuous development and a forward-looking development, I have resigned from my mandate so that Kley can assume the position as chairman. I am convinced that he will fulfil this role as long-standing industry expert and manager with great success. I have also resigned with the reassuring knowledge that the company is showing a positive earnings trend and an overall strong performance."
“On behalf of all supervisory board members, I would like to thank Mayrhuber for his successful work and his great merits to the company," says Kley.
In 2003 Wolfgang Mayrhuber succeeded Jürgen Weber as CEO of the Lufthansa Group. During his time as chairman of the executive board, he created the basis for Lufthansa Group's current structure, acquiring and integrating SWISS and Austrian Airlines, investing in Brussels Airlines and establishing Germanwings. In 2013 he became chairman of the supervisory board.
Miriam Elizabeth Sapiro was proposed for the vacant seat on the supervisory board. Sapiro is a partner at international communications consultancy Finsbury and heads their company's Washington office.
