Former BMW executive Wolfgang Reitzle, who now heads German industrial gas group Linde, has told managers of his company by email he intends to remain in his post and that he will not be available for other positions outside the group.
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The Financial Times said this ends weeks of speculation that Reitzle could replace Klaus Kleinfeld as the chairman of German technologies group Siemens.
The FT noted that the announcement by Reitzle, who had been regarded as the favourite candidate by important members of the supervisory board of Siemens, will make Siemens’ search for a new chairman more difficult.
According to the paper, rumours that Gerhard Cromme, the supervisory board chairman of Siemens, could take over as management board chairman have been denied; the supervisory board says that it will not allow the public to put it under pressure and that Cromme will consider joining the management board only if no other solution can be found.
It is thought to be unlikely that the new chairman will come from within Siemens, in view of the current investigations into the payment of bribes, the FT added.
