Names are also maritime news

The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection has appointed three new members to the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code (GCGC): Ulrich Grillo, Michael Rüdiger and Susanne Wiegand. The Commission makes recommendations for the management and supervision of listed companies and makes good corporate governance transparent and comprehensible. Three of the 15 seats were filled by rotation.
But what does this have to do with the maritime industry? More than it seems at first glance. All three personalities have - direct or indirect - links to key maritime industries.

Ulrich Grillo has been Chairman of the Management Board of GRILLO-Werke AG, a metal and chemical company, since 2004. He was also President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI, 2013-2016). Mr Grillo has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Rheinmetall AG since 2016, where he is Chairman. Rheinmetall describes itself as an international systems supplier to the defence industry. With the acquisition of Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) on 1 March 2026, the company has significantly expanded its maritime footprint and is developing into a cross-domain supplier with strong naval expertise.

Michael Rüdiger has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG and a member of the Supervisory Board of Evonik Industries AG since 2020. At Group level, BlackRock reported on a consortium that wanted to acquire the global port portfolio of the Hong Kong logistics group CK Hutchison - with activities in over 40 ports worldwide, including the strategically important Panama terminals in Balboa and Cristóbal, which were recently nationalised by the Panamanian government. Evonik, for its part, is a relevant speciality chemicals and materials supplier for maritime applications, including marine and protective coatings, shipbuilding, offshore and aquaculture.

Susanne Wiegand has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG since 2025 and a member of the Supervisory Board of BWI GmbH, the Bundeswehr's digitalisation partner. Her previous positions are particularly relevant to the maritime industry: 2018-2021 CEO of Rheinmetall Electronics, specialising in naval sensor, command and mission systems, and 2021-2025 CEO of the RENK Group, a central propulsion and system supplier for civil and military shipping. In the German Navy, RENK is known in particular for its gear and propulsion technology in various ship classes.
The appointment of the three commission members shows how closely industrial policy, security policy and maritime interests are linked today. Anyone reading the names is also reading a piece of the maritime present.