The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn has taken a big step forward in its attempt to defuse the smoldering dispute on the Group's Executive Board. The HR Committee of the Supervisory Board will decide this Wednesday to appoint the current head of the Berlin public transport company (BVG), Sigrid Nikutta, as the goods manager of Deutsche Bahn. The SPIEGEL learned from supervisory board circles. Nikutta will take over the troubled railroad division of Alexander Doll, which will in the future only take care of the finances of the state-owned company.
Nikutta's appeal was preceded by a dispute between Doll and Richard Bahn's CEO, Richard Lutz. This had Doll asked to hand over the Finance, to deal exclusively with the freight and the DB subsidiary Schenker future. Doll had rejected this, which was considered by railway insiders as a challenge to Lutz (Read here a detailed SPIEGEL Plus story on the dispute within the rail board.). "The competence of Alexander Doll is in particular the financial sector," it now says from supervisory board circles: "He should have more time for that."
The Supervisory Board has apparently decided to leave Lutz and Doll on the Executive Board. The two brawlers would then have to come to terms with each other.
High losses must be minimized
The transport of goods by rail requires special attention. The losses there take on ever greater proportions. This is a task that someone has to take care of full-time, such a member of the Supervisory Board.
Sigrid Nikutta has been selected for this challenge. The 50-year-old was already in the past repeatedly talking for a board position at the railway, especially the SPD members on the board had brought their name into the game. This time successfully. However, the busy BVG boss is not welcome in the entire Board of the railway. In addition to Lutz, Infrastructure Director Ronald Pofalla is said to have been against a call from Nikutta.
This does not seem to have impressed the Supervisory Board. In recent weeks, individual members of the Supervisory Board are said to have met with the studied psychologist. The staff committee, it is said, will make a vote in the coming hours for Nikutta.