The general assembly of the Chamber of Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria today elected Klaus Josef Lutz (63), CEO of BayWa AG, as its new president. Lutz takes over the office of President of the Bavarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BIHK).
Lutz has been a member of the presidium of the largest IHK in Germany with around 400,000 member companies since 2016. He is the successor to Eberhard Sasse (69), who has been IHK President since 2013 and who did not run for this year’s IHK election. The current electoral term runs until 2026.
“I would like to thank all members of the General Assembly for the trust they have shown in us. There is now much to do for all of us to overcome the effects of the corona pandemic as quickly as possible. We will do everything we can to provide our member companies with active support in making use of support measures and in making a new start. The sustainable development of the economic region of Upper Bavaria, one of the strongest economic regions in Europe, is also a matter close to my heart, for which I will work together with the voluntary committees and the employees of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. I have also started so that companies can take control of their future with more self-determination and so that entrepreneurs in this country like to be entrepreneurs. To do this, we need optimism, more creative freedom and equal competitive conditions, ”says Lutz.
Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) congratulates Lutz on his election as the new President of the Chamber of Commerce: “Congratulations to Klaus Josef Lutz on his new position as President of the Chamber of Commerce. I got to know Mr. Lutz as a committed entrepreneur with great foresight, who is always actively committed to the commercial economy. With his life so far, he is a great asset for the IHK. I am very much looking forward to working together. The last few months have shown how important the chambers of industry and commerce are for the functioning of our economic system. We also owe it to the great commitment of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria and their employees that around six billion euros in Corona economic aid have already been paid out to Bavarian companies. I would therefore like to thank the outgoing President Eberhard Sasse once again for his great commitment and the very good and intensive cooperation. It was a pleasure for me.”
Four other candidates
Four other candidates also applied for the IHK presidency: Martin Blankemeyer, managing director of film.coop GmbH in Munich, Alexander Hof, self-employed in the field of internet portals from Landsberg am Lech, Anna Klinke, managing director of HARDY’s Freizeit Sport & Event GmbH in Greifenberg and Günes Seyfarth, owner of the management consultancy Die MacGyvers in Munich.
Lutz received 49 votes. Blankemeyer, Hof, Klinke and Seyfarth received (in that order) 2, 2, 2 and 23 votes, respectively. There were 4 abstentions.
At the IHK election in the whole of Upper Bavaria in the spring, all around 400,000 IHK member companies were called upon to elect their representatives to the IHK plenary assembly and regional committees. 183 candidates applied for one of the 71 direct-election seats in the General Assembly. The chairmen of the 20 IHK regional committees also have a seat in the general assembly. The complete election results can be viewed at www.ihkwahl2021.de.
The IHK is the legal representative of the commercial economy. The task of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce is to look after the general interests of the traders, to work for the promotion of the commercial economy and to fulfill around 80 public tasks assigned by the state.
The Bavarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BIHK) eV represents around 990,000 IHK member companies as the umbrella organization of the nine IHKs in Bavaria. This makes it the largest business organization in the Free State. According to the BIHK statutes, the office of president of the BIHK is exercised in personal union by the president of the IHK for Munich and Upper Bavaria.
(BSZ)
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