28.8.2001
Klaudia Martini New Opel Management Board Member for Public Affairs

The Supervisory Board of Adam Opel AG today approved the appointment of Klaudia Martini (50) to the position of Management Board Member for Public Affairs, effective October 1, 2001. Ms. Martini will have extended responsibilities for Public Policy, Government Relations, Internal Communications as well as Corporate and Product PR. Martini is currently part of the German government authorities, serving as State Minister for the Environment and Forestry in Rhineland-Palatinate. She has occupied this position since 1991, making Ms. Martini the longest standing Minister for the Environment in Germany and in Europe.

"By establishing a Board position for Public Affairs and further strengthening the team with Klaudia Martini, I want to send out a clear signal that we intend to work aggressively to enhance the company reputation of Opel", said Carl-Peter Forster, Chairman and Managing Director of Adam Opel AG. "Ms. Martini's background and experience will also allow our company to take an active role in important Public Policy areas such as future mobility solutions, environmental responsibility and sustainability, or in developing innovative models for regional traffic management".

In her new Opel assignment, Ms. Martini will be closely supported by Karl Mauer (53) who currently is heading up the Communications department at Adam Opel AG and, prior to that, had established the Communications function at Opel's International Technical Development Center.

"I know Opel as a proud and competent German company with a rich heritage and excellent environmental standards. I am looking forward to this exciting new challenge and turn in my career", said Klaudia Martini. "I am enthused about the opportunity to actively shape innovation and mobility concepts at one of the largest German car companies".

Klaudia Martini was born in Ranna/Oberpfalz in 1950 and studied law at the universities of Munich and Heidelberg. She started her diverse professional career in 1978 as a Judge at the Administrative Court in Augsburg. In 1980, she was made responsible for environmental protection, education and traffic for the Landkreis Neu-Ulm, and subsequently worked as a Judge in the Administrative Court in Munich. 1986 marked her move into Government, when she became a Representative in the Bavarian State Parliament. In 1991, she was named State Minister for the Environment in Rhineland-Palatinate, with added responsibility for Forestry as of 1994.