Schaeffler Group establishes international affairs department, with former German ambassador as head

Schaeffler Group, a global supplier of automotive and industrial products, has announced the establishment of an international affairs department and hired German diplomat Dr. Peter Wittig as the head of the department. Dr. Wittig will officially join the Schaeffler Group on May 1, 2020 and will be based in Berlin.

Dr. Peter Wittig officially retired from the German Foreign Ministry this year and has extensive diplomatic experience in his career. In the 1980s, Dr. Wittig joined the German Foreign Ministry and held various positions in conflict zones in Europe and the Middle East and in multilateral diplomacy. From 2009 to 2014, he served as Germany's ambassador to the United Nations, representing Germany in the UN Security Council for two years. After that, he went to Washington to serve as Germany's ambassador to the United States during the Obama and Trump administrations, mainly in the fields of protectionism, trade conflicts and sanctions law. In 2018, he was sent to London to serve as Germany's ambassador to the UK in the context of Brexit.

Mr. George F.W. Schaeffler, family shareholder and chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler Group, said: "We are very pleased that Dr. Wittig has joined the Schaeffler Group. He has rich diplomatic experience. He will provide advice and support to the Group's Board of Directors to help the Group cope with the changing external situation."

Mr. Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler Group, said: "The market environment in the next few years is full of challenges. As a global supplier of automotive and industrial products, understanding the global political situation and risk management will become increasingly important. We are very happy that Dr. Wittig, an outstanding expert in this field, has joined us."

In his new position, Dr. Peter Wittig will report directly to CEO Mr. Klaus Rosenfeld. In addition to being responsible for public affairs such as governments and associations, the newly established International Affairs Department has added the "International Risk" function, which is responsible for macroeconomic development and international risk analysis. The department will also assist members of the Board of Directors in handling public fund affairs for technological innovation and research and development. In addition to the group headquarters, the International Affairs Department will also be responsible for the coordination of the four major regions of the Schaeffler Group in this field.