Robert Bosch Stiftung appoints: Uta-Micaela Dürig to the board of management and Dr. Christoph Zemelka head of Bosch corporate communications

• Dürig has been head of global communications at Bosch for eleven successful years
• Zemelka to succeed Dürig effective October 1, 2014

Stuttgart, 30-6-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — Effective July 1, 2015, after 31 years in communications and the media, and roughly eleven successful years as head of corporate communications at the supplier of technology and services Robert Bosch GmbH, Uta-Micaela Dürig (50) will be moving to the board of management of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stuttgart. The Robert Bosch Stiftung is one of the largest company-affiliated foundations in Europe. Effective the same date, Dr. Ingrid Hamm will be retiring for age reasons, following many years as chief executive officer.

The shareholders meeting of the Robert Bosch Stiftung made this announcement today, following its meeting in Stuttgart. Starting October 1, 2014, Dürig will begin building up her network with a broad range of national and international contacts. And from January 1, 2015, she will assume responsibility for the project to combat European youth unemployment – a project that was begun jointly by Robert Bosch GmbH and the Robert Bosch Stiftung in 2013.

Uta-Micaela Dürig became head of Bosch Group corporate communications on January 1, 2004, systematically making it more international and reorganizing its areas of work. Under her leadership, corporate communications’ roughly 240-strong team garnered many national and international awards for outstanding innovative work, including for the company’s anniversary activities in 2011. Apart from classic corporate communications, the department’s sphere of activity also includes brand management and sustainability. Under Dürig’s leadership, corporate social responsibility institutes were set up in countries such as China, the U.S., India, and Brazil.

Before joining Bosch, Uta-Micaela Dürig worked as a newspaper journalist, and following the fall of the Berlin Wall she was the Berlin Senate’s political press spokesperson. She completed a part-time course in journalism at the Institute of Communication Theory of the Free University of Berlin, and was responsible for marketing communication, media relations work, public affairs, and strategic communications at companies in various industries. In this context, she spent four years at ABB AG, two years at the telecommunications company Krone AG, and six years within the RWE group. Apart from her professional work, Dürig has been engaged in civic initiatives for many years. Since 1985, she has been involved in a children’s home and adult training center near the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. Since 1996, she has been training communicators and journalists at universities and journalism schools. In 2010, she was one of the co-founders of the “Academic Society for Corporate Management and Communication” in Leipzig. And since early 2014, she has been a member of the supervisory board of Caritasverband Stuttgart, whose 1,400 full-time staff and activities at 70 locations in Stuttgart make it one of Germany’s largest charitable organizations.

Effective October 1, 2014, Uta-Micaela Dürig will be succeeded by Dr. Christoph Zemelka (45), who has been part of Bosch corporate communications since November 1, 2004. A trained journalist, Zemelka started his Bosch career as head of the issues management unit, where he was mainly responsible for communicative support for M&A and reorganization projects. In subsequent years, he was responsible for internal communications, including the associate newspaper “Bosch Zünder.” Since 2011, he has been responsible for public and media relations work. After studying journalism in Dortmund and completing a traineeship at the Deutsche Welle radio station in Cologne, he began his career as a management consultant with Roland Berger and C4 Consulting. Zemelka has been one of Dürig’s deputies for a number of years. The changeover has been planned for some time.

Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the Bosch board of management, said: “Since joining Bosch in 2004, Ms. Dürig has done an excellent job of heading corporate communications, and led her team to many impressive achievements. She was able to benefit from her considerable networks in the media, politics, and society. We would like to thank Ms. Dürig for her many years of dedicated service, and wish both her and Mr. Zemelka every success in their new roles.”

Dr. Kurt Liedtke, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, said: “Ms. Dürig has a broad network of national and international contacts, and having also been responsible for sustainability, she brings extensive familiarity with and understanding of social issues. This experience will be extremely valuable for her future work on the board of management, from where she will pursue the charitable objectives of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. In addition, she has a profound insight into Bosch history, as well as many contacts within Robert Bosch GmbH.”

Uta-Micaela Dürig said: “The Robert Bosch Stiftung’s work is important and has a far-reaching impact. My own work has often overlapped with that of the Stiftung’s professional team, especially when it comes to sustainability, education, and journalism. I will continue to be closely involved with communication issues via my teaching activities and membership of professional bodies.”

Contact person for press inquiries:
Uta-Micaela Dürig,
phone: +49 711 811-6280

Dr. Christoph Zemelka,
phone: +49 711 811-6854

Bosch Group:
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In 2013, its roughly 281,000 associates generated sales of 46.1 billion euros. (NB: Due to a change in accounting policies, the 2013 figures can only be compared to a limited extent with the 2012 figures). Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Automotive Technology, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 360 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 50 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2013, the Bosch Group invested some 4.5 billion euros in research and development and applied for some 5,000 patents. This is an average of 20 patents per day. The Bosch Group’s products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.”

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. 92 percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com and www.bosch-press.com, http://twitter.com/BoschPresse.

Robert Bosch Stiftung:
This year, the Robert Bosch Stiftung is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As one of Europe’s largest foundations associated with a private company, it invests approximately 70 million euros annually in supporting some 800 of its own and third-party projects in the fields of international understanding, education, society, and culture, as well as health and science. Since its founding in 1964, the foundation has used more than 1.2 billion euros for charitable activities.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung continues the charitable pursuits of Robert Bosch (1861–1942), the founder of both the company and the foundation. It owns about a 92 percent stake in Robert Bosch GmbH and finances its operations from the dividends it receives from this holding. Robert Bosch’s former home in Stuttgart serves as the foundation’s headquarters. Around 140 employees work for the foundation at this location and at its offices in Berlin.

www.robertboschacademy.de; www.50-jahre-richtung-zukunft.de

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Uta-Micaela Dürig

Dr. Christoph Zemelka