Pressemitteilung
Frankfurt am Main, 4. August 2025
‘CEO der Zukunft' (CEO of the Future): New cross-mentoring programme addresses impending leadership vacuum in municipal companies
• More than half of today's municipal utility CEOs will retire in the next five to seven years
• The ‘CEO of the Future’ initiative is actively shaping a diverse leadership culture
• Founders of the initiative: Prof. Dr. Friedemann Schulz von Thun and Dr. Jens Meier, CEO of the Lübeck Municipal Utilities Group
• 30 top CEOs from municipal companies are involved as mentors
• Odgers is responsible for diagnostics, the selection process for mentees and matching – with the aim of bringing together the best possible combinations of mentees and mentors
• Applications open on 4 August at: https://www.ceo-der-zukunft.de
Public utilities are responsible for implementing solutions for the construction, energy, mobility and heating transition under challenging conditions such as changing business models, high investment requirements, etc. A mammoth task! But demographic change is hitting the municipal economy with full force: in addition to a growing shortage of skilled workers, there is currently a massive shortage of managers.
According to the 2024 Municipal Utilities Study by bdew and Ernst & Young, the shortage of skilled workers is increasingly becoming a shortage of managers. An internal survey also shows this trend: according to the survey, more than half of today's managing directors will retire in the next five to seven years – a generational change that is not only imminent but has already begun. In addition, municipal companies are too small individually to offer competitive C-level development programmes. Combined with outdated prejudices about public companies, this means that a management career in the municipal sector is often considered less attractive than one in the private sector.
Filling top positions is therefore becoming a key strategic task, because without targeted measures, there is a risk of a structural leadership vacuum with far-reaching consequences for the future viability of municipal enterprises. The cross-company initiative ‘CEO of the Future’ uses a cross-mentoring programme to increase the visibility and attractiveness of municipal companies for future leaders and actively shapes a diverse succession.
Founder, mentor and strategic driving force
The founders, strategic drivers and initiators of the programme are Prof. Dr. Friedemann Schulz von Thun, Germany's most renowned communication psychologist, and Dr. Jens Meier, CEO of the Stadtwerke Lübeck Group. Felix Schulz von Thun is responsible for management and programme direction.
"I have come to the conclusion that leadership in the municipal economy is extremely challenging! The urgent transformations that lie ahead require us to consider not only economic and technological dimensions, but also political and human dimensions. And when it comes to communication, we must succeed in combining professionalism and humanity in a way that is appropriate to the context. This is no easy challenge for the CEO of the future, but it is extremely rewarding," says Prof. Dr. Friedemann Schulz von Thun.
"We can complain about the lack of diversity and ageing at the executive board level of municipal companies, or we can actively shape and promote a diverse and progressive leadership culture. As CEO of the Stadtwerke Lübeck Group, I know the challenges of municipal companies first-hand – as the founder and initiator of “CEO of the Future”, I am actively shaping a solution. This programme is more than mentoring: it is a strategic catalyst for change. We make talent visible, network it in a targeted manner and prepare it for the complex leadership responsibilities of tomorrow. If you want to secure the future, you have to invest in leadership today," says Dr Jens Meier.
Tomorrow's leadership can be shaped
The cross-company mentoring programme ‘CEO of the Future’ aims to specifically strengthen the visibility and attractiveness of municipal companies for future leaders – both within and outside the industry. Thirty top CEOs as mentors and six main sponsors and specialist partners are working together to actively promote the leadership of tomorrow. The programme partners DZ Bank, SchwarzDigits, Kearney, m3 management consulting, Siemens Energy and BBH are supporting the programme with their executive seminars.
Odgers is supporting the programme with diagnostics, selection of mentees and matching to create the most effective and well-coordinated mentoring tandems possible.
"Tomorrow's leadership does not happen by chance. It requires sound methods for identifying potential, targeted support and a deep understanding of what leadership in municipal structures must achieve today.
With our many years of experience in diagnostics and leadership development, we support the programme in identifying precisely those talents who are ready to take on responsibility and actively shape transformation." Katja Hanns-Terrill, Managing Partner at Odgers Germany
The aim is to identify and train a new generation of leaders to master the multiple challenges facing municipal companies. Through individual mentoring, targeted training and the establishment of a strong network, a new generation of leaders is emerging who not only act as competent decision-makers, but also as drivers of sustainable transformation.
There is a particular focus on diversity in leadership – in terms of gender, origin and professional background, among other things. Different perspectives and innovative approaches are to be integrated into corporate management in a targeted manner in order to make it sustainable and adaptive. The aim is to achieve gender parity.
„CEO der Zukunft“: Cross-mentoring for managers who shape change
The programme combines three key development components:
1. 1:1 mentoring: Personal support from top executives on regular mentoring days.
2. Leadership training: Four specially developed modules from the Schulz von Thun Institute strengthen communication skills and self-reflection.
3. Executive seminars: More than 15 practical modules for individual development.
The application phase for the 40 coveted mentoring places starts on 4 August and runs until the end of September 2025. After the application deadline, the personnel consultancy Odgers will take over the matching phase to bring together the best possible combinations of mentees and mentors. Mentoring begins in January 2026 and lasts for two years.
Further information and relevant background data can be found at: https://www.ceo-der-zukunft.de
About „CEO der Zukunft“:
The cross-mentoring programme ‘CEO of the Future’ offers a unique opportunity for managers in municipal companies. Thirty committed top CEOs from German municipal utilities and municipal companies take on a mentoring role and prepare the next generation of managers for the challenges of top management through targeted personality development and the establishment of a strong professional network.
The programme is supplemented by professional management training from the Schulz von Thun Institute and is significantly supported by renowned sponsors and specialist partners, whose commitment and expertise enable its success and implementation.
The founders: Prof. Dr. Friedemann Schulz von Thun and Dr. Jens Meier Management and programme director: Felix Schulz von Thun
The mentors:
Aurelie Alemany, Chairwoman of the Executive Board, enercity AG
Verena Amann, Member of the Executive Board, MVV Energie AG
Julia Antoni, Managing Director, Stadtwerke Oberursel (Taunus) GmbH
Caspar Baumgart, Member of the Executive Board, WEMAG
Dr Christian Becker, Member of the Executive Board, STAWAG – Stadt- und Städteregionswerke Aachen AG
Sven Becker, Spokesman for the Management Board, Trianel GmbH
Dr Charlotte Beissel, Member of the Executive Board, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG
Iman El Sonbaty, Managing Director, Stadtwerke Karlsruhe GmbH
Kirsten Fust, Spokeswoman for the Management Board, Hamburger Energiewerke
Hans-Martin Hellebrand, Chief Executive Officer, badenova AG & Co. KG
Olaf Hermes, Chairman of the Management Board, Stadtwerke Bonn GmbH
Christoph Hesse, Member of the Management Board, Energieversorgung Mittelrhein evm
Dr Gerhard Holtmeier, Chairman of the Management Board, Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserversorgung GmbH (DEW21)
Sebastian Jurczyk, Chairman of the Management Board, Managing Director, Energie Stadtwerke Münster GmbH
Ingbert Liebing, Chief Executive, Association of Municipal Enterprises
Carsten Liedtke, Spokesman of the Management Board, SWK AG
Michael Lucke, Managing Director, Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH
Dr Michael Maxelon, Chairman of the Management Board, Mainova AG
Dr Jens Meier, Chairman of the Management Board, Stadtwerke Lübeck Gruppe GmbH
Christian Meyer-Hammerström, Managing Director, Osterholzer Stadtwerke GmbH & Co. KG
Bernd Reichelt, Managing Director, Stadtwerke SH GmbH & Co. KG
Anne Rethmann, Chief Financial Officer, Thüga Aktiengesellschaft
Dr Martin Ridder, Managing Director, eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG
Thomas Schmidt, Chief Sales and Trading Officer, ENTEGA AG
Stephan Segbers, Chief Sales and Energy Procurement Officer, RheinEnergie AG
Karsten Specht, Managing Director, Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesischer Wasserverband Public Corporation
Elke Temme, Managing Director, Stadtwerke Bochum Holding GmbH
Matthias Trunk, Member of the Executive Board, COO, GASAG AG
Magdalena Weigel, Member of the Executive Board and Director of Labour Relations, N ERGIE Aktiengesellschaft
Vera Weidemann, Member of the Executive Board, EWE Aktiengesellschaft
The sponsors:
A.T. Kearney GmbH
Schwarz Digits KG
DZ Bank
m3 management consulting GmbH
Becker Büttner Held Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Unternehmensberater PartGmbB
Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
The specialist partners:
Odgers Unternehmensberatung GmbH
Schulz von Thun Institut für Kommunikation
Zeitung für Kommunale Wirtschaft (ZfK)
For questions about the programme:
Email: team@ceo-der-zukunft.de