DHL 2008 Annual Report Download - page 108

Deutsche Post World Net Annual Report 2008
Advising and overseeing the Board of Management
 e Supervisory Board again devoted close attention to the strategic focus and
business performance of the Group in all areas in . We discussed in detail the restruc-
turing of the  express business and the sale of Deutsche Postbank . Other topics of
particular signi cance were the e ects of the  nancial crisis on the company’s trans-
actions, the company’s participation in the capital increase of Deutsche Postbank ,
the progress made by our Roadmap to Value capital markets programme and personnel
changes in the management of Deutsche Post .
All major decisions a ecting the company were discussed in detail with the Board
of Management, which informed us in a timely and comprehensive manner on all key
issues relating to planning and business development. We received regular reports on the
risk situation and risk management, major business transactions and projects in the indi-
vidual divisions as well as on strategic measures and the company’s future direction. In
particular, all measures requiring the consent of the Supervisory Board were discussed in
depth.  e Board of Management kept the chairman of the Supervisory Board continu-
ously updated on all key transactions and major impending decisions, both at the Super-
visory Board meetings and between meetings. We prepared our approval for business
measures in the relevant committees.  e chairs of the committees reported regularly on
the committees’ work at the Supervisory Board meetings.
Nine meetings during the reporting period
Five meetings were held in the  rst half of the year and four in the second half. No
member of the Supervisory Board was absent from more than half of the meetings. At all
of its meetings, the Supervisory Board concerned itself with issues of corporate strategy,
the business performance of the divisions and risk management.
In a special meeting held on  February , the Supervisory Board accepted the
resignation of Dr Klaus Zumwinkel from his post as Chairman of the Board of Manage-
ment and appointed Dr Frank Appel as the new Chairman of the Board of Management.
At the financial statements meeting held on  March , we discussed and
approved the annual and consolidated  nancial statements for , following in-depth
discussions between the auditors and the Finance and Audit Committee and the chair-
man of the Supervisory Board. We also reviewed the e ciency of the Supervisory Board’s
work based on an updated questionnaire. Further topics involved the new appointments
of Bruce Edwards and Hermann Ude as members of the Board of Management and the
related adjustment of business responsibilities.  e  Division was split into
Global Forwarding, Freight, headed by Hermann Ude, and Supply Chain, Corporate
Information Solutions, headed by Bruce Edwards. Responsibility for Global Mail was
transferred to the  Division, which is headed by Jürgen Gerdes. We also approved
an increase in our stake in Williams Lea at this meeting.
104