Rhenus Group has appointed Tobias Bartz as its CEO and chairman of the management board effective April 1, 2022. Bartz will take over the position from Klemens Rethmann who aims to focus on his tasks on the executive board of Rethmann, Rhenus’ parent company. 

Rethmann, who was born in 1965, is handing over this position, which he has held since 2008. “We’re settling the issue of succession at an early stage in order to continue the positive developments at Rhenus. We have complete confidence that Tobias Bartz will achieve this. He has a wealth of international experience, first-class networks and is the best choice to lead Rhenus into a good future,” says Marco Schröter, the chairman of the supervisory board of Rhenus.

“Tobias and I have worked very closely and successfully together since my early days in the Rhenus Group. In all these years, we’ve achieved a great deal together with all the members of the Rhenus family. We respect and trust each other and I’m therefore proud to be able to name him as my successor,” adds Rethmann.

Tobias Bartz, who was born in 1977, began his professional career as a management trainee at Rhenus in 2005. He has provided evidence of his leadership skills in various international settings within the Rhenus Group since that time.

Among other things, he was responsible for the Rhenus road freight business in France and Spain. He was appointed a member of the Rhenus management board in 2015 and masterminded the growth of the air & ocean division from Singapore for three years, before he returned to Germany in 2018. He will retain his management position within this division alongside his appointment as CEO and chairman of the management board of the Rhenus Group.

Tobias Bartz already has a clear objective in mind. “We will strongly focus on further growth as well as green and digital transformation for the Rhenus Group during the next few years too. We’ll continue to expand our global network during this time,” he said.