The supervisory board of 50Hertz Transmission GmbH has reconstituted itself by electing Bernard Gustin, Chief Executive Officer of Elia Group, as chairman of its newly expanded body. This reorganisation follows the application of the German Co-Determination Act, which requires equal representation between employers and employees in companies with more than 2,000 staff.
A twelve-member governance structure
The new board now includes twelve members, evenly divided between shareholder and employee representatives. The mandate of the current members runs until 2030. On the shareholder side, in addition to Bernard Gustin, members include Marco Nix, Chief Financial Officer of Elia Group, Peter Michiels, Chief Alignment Officer, Bert Maes, Chief Executive Officer of Eurogrid International, Lutz-Christian Funke, Secretary General of KfW Group, and Gabriele Eggers, Chief Financial Officer of Hamburger Energienetze.
On the employee side, the six members include Konrad Klingenburg, Federal Secretary of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), elected vice-chairman of the board, as well as several senior staff of 50Hertz including Andrea Ludwig, chairwoman of the general works council, and Janin Winkler, head of business control.
A structure shared between Elia Group and KfW
50Hertz is 80% owned by Elia Group through Eurogrid International, and 20% by the public development bank KfW through Selent Netzbetreiber GmbH. This shareholder structure combines an international private player with a German institutional partner, with the aim of managing the electricity grid in northern and eastern Germany.
The board’s expansion comes at a time of transformation in the energy market, with increased investment and shifting operational priorities. The new supervisory body will face challenges linked to security of supply, cybersecurity and system stability.
A mandate aligned with industrial priorities
The German co-determination model requires close collaboration between management and employee representatives on key strategic decisions. This governance model enables the company to address increasingly complex challenges in a changing sector while preserving internal balance.
The involvement of senior executives from both sides of the shareholder structure is designed to strengthen strategic oversight. Bernard Gustin’s appointment to lead the supervisory body comes as Elia Group develops cross-border projects to further interconnect European electricity markets.
