Evelyn Palla is set to make history as the first female CEO of Germany’s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn (DB), according to reports by German media on Saturday. Transport Minister Patrick Schneider will announce the appointment on Monday and will also unveil his plans for the future of the company.
As of now, there has been no confirmation from either the ministry or DB regarding this development. Palla, who is 52 and originally from South Tyrol, northern Italy, joined the company in 2019 after working with Infineon, E.ON, and the Austrian railway operator ÖBB. She is set to replace Richard Lutz, who served as the CEO from 2017 but was dismissed last month.
Having previously been in charge of DB Regio, Palla introduced a more autonomous management approach, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Deutsche Bahn has been struggling with extensive delays and cancellations, which have been attributed to old and overloaded infrastructure. In 2024, the company had to pay €197 million in compensation for late and canceled trains.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised to restructure DB’s management and modernize Germany’s transport infrastructure, which is fully owned by the German state.
The article was edited by Roshni Majumdar.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/deutsche-bahn-to-get-first-female-ceo-reports/a-74077625?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
