Porsche Supervisory Board appoints Thomas Edig to the position of HR DirectorHarro Harmel steps down after many successful years as a member of the Board
Stuttgart. The Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has appointed Thomas Edig (44) to the sports car manufacturer’s Board. In May 2007 he will assume management of the Human Resources Division and the role of HR Director from Harro Harmel (64), who will be retiring after 25 successful years at Porsche. Thomas Edig will be moving to the Stuttgart automaker from T-Com.
As a member of the Board, Harro Harmel played a critical role in the restructuring of Porsche AG during the 1990s. After graduating from the School of Vocational Welfare in Frankfurt, Mr. Harmel initially held various posts in human resources and staff welfare at Standard Elektrik Lorenz AG before moving to Porsche AG as departmental manager for Human Resources in 1982. In 1987 he was appointed overall head of human resources and, five years later, became a member of the Board and HR Director at the corporation.
Mr. Harmel played an active role in the 1990s during the restructuring process in production, which saw the introduction of Japanese production methods but also the abolition of around 2,000 jobs. These measures were not implemented in the face of opposition from the Workers’ Representative, but with this body’s agreement. This collaboration resulted in a cooperative approach between employers and employees that had a positive effect on Porsche’s further growth. The site guarantee agreements concluded in 2000 and 2005 safeguarded jobs for a period of five years in each case after workforces had declared a willingness to continue increasing productivity and flexibility. Other measures implemented under Mr. Harmel included a reduction in the number of management levels from five to three, the transition to a new generation of managers and the establishment of strategic human resources management to pave the way for the managers of the future.
Prof. Dr. Helmut Sihler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer, praised Mr. Harmel’s many years of service as a member of the Board for Human Resources: “Harro Harmel distinguished himself not only through his outstanding loyalty to the company, but also through a special talent for resolving conflicts efficiently and quietly. He furthermore succeeded in establishing a highly-motivated management team that identifies fully with the company. Harro Harmel can without doubt also take credit for the fact that Porsche is today one of the most respected and popular employers in Europe. The Supervisory Board, Directors and shareholders all express their most sincere thanks to Mr. Harmel for this.”
Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche AG, highlighted the retiring Board member’s hard work by citing positive cooperation between employers and employees: “During the difficult restructuring phase, Harro Harmel succeeded in convincing the workforce of the reorganization concept. In so doing, he founded a corporate culture that is defined by mutual respect and trust and to which Porsche owes its current strength. We are looking forward to working with Thomas Edig. I am confident that our new Board member will be able to continue seamlessly the successful work of his predecessor.”
Thomas Edig was born on October 8, 1961 in Stuttgart. After graduating in Business Administration from the University of Cooperative Education in Karlsruhe in 1986, he was employed at Alcatel SEL AG in Stuttgart. Following a number of promotions, he became member of the Board and HR Director in 1998, before being appointed to the Executive Board of Alcatel in Paris in 2002. On April 1, 2006 he moved to Deutsche Telekom AG in Bonn, where he is a member of the T-Com Divisional Board with responsibility for Human Resources and Organizational Matters. Mr. Edig is married and has two children.
GO
26.07.2006