A significant leadership overhaul is underway at Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway company. Federal Minister for Transport Patrick Schnieder announced on Monday that Evelyn Palla, currently head of DB Regio, will assume the position of CEO for the entire group. This decision, previously reported over the weekend, marks a substantial shift for the state-owned enterprise.
Schnieder unveiled the leadership changes alongside key components of a planned reform for Deutsche Bahn. The restructuring also extends to DB InfraGo, the infrastructure division, which will see Dirk Rompf, previously of strategy consultancy Ifok and a long-standing member of the board for DB Netz AG, appointed as the new leadership figure, replacing current CEO Philipp Nagl. This appointment is pending final approval from relevant committees.
Minister Schnieder described the changes as ushering in a “new beginning” encompassing both content, structure and personnel. He anticipates a gradual transformation in the nature of the rail service. Regarding Palla’s appointment, Schnieder highlighted her emergence as the “best candidate” through the selection process, emphasizing her deep understanding of Deutsche Bahn’s operations and her successful leadership of the Regio division since 2022. He credited her with demonstrating “successful customer orientation.
The announcement follows the recent dismissal of former CEO Richard Lutz, who was asked to remain in his position until a successor was found. Evelyn Palla, originally from South Tyrol, joined the Deutsche Bahn group in 2019, bringing prior experience from the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Eon.