Oliver Blume (Volkswagen / Porsche) wins CEO Impact Ranking 2023

In the CEO Impact Ranking 2023, there is no way around Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen and Porsche. The top manager, who is the only CEO to lead two DAX companies, also clinches the first position in the quarterly ranking. At the end of the year, he also occupies the top position among the DAX40 CEOs. For the ranking, UNICEPTA analyzed the media impact of all CEOs of the DAX40 for the year 2023 (January 1 to November 30) for Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. The media intelligence company's analysts evaluated the reporting of 116 print and online media outlets and created the ranking based on a reach-based index score, considering factors such as reception probability, focus, and tonality.

E-mobility, the China business, and the restructuring of the Volkswagen Group are among the top topics in the 2023 reporting around Oliver Blume. Although the executive argued in Süddeutsche Zeitung at the beginning of the year that combustion engines should not be banned, he is still committed to the group's globally oriented electromobility strategy. The restructuring of the Volkswagen Group continues to be the focus of the reporting. “VW is planning an efficiency program worth billions for the core Volkswagen brand. By 2026, it should generate EUR 10 billion in savings and increase the brand's return on sales from 3.4 to 6.5 percent," writes Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Blume also announced the end of the remote working period. In the future, managers should come to the office four times a week again. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that, according to company sources, Oliver Blume justified the shift by pointing out the need to ensure product launches and work on the planned efficiency program.

Christian Sewing (Deutsche Bank) in second place, followed by Armin Papperger (Rheinmetall)

Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, comes in second in the 2023 CEO Impact Ranking. The media praises the top manager is for his impressive figures, initially for the results of the previous fiscal year and subsequently for the quarterly results. Most recently, Deutsche Bank announced a higher payout to its shareholders than previously planned. In this context, Handelsblatt quotes from a letter from Christian Sewing to employees, stating that the bank has "identified scope to release additional capital amounting to three billion euros." It also intends to use the freed-up capital "to invest in technology, controls, and the business," Handelsblatt continues. The positive business development is, to some extent, offset by internal challenges, particularly concerning Postbank and its IT migration to Deutsche Bank's systems. Following significant complaints from customers and consumer advocates, BaFin announced in early October that it had appointed a special commissioner to help resolve the problems. Süddeutsche Zeitung describes the situation as an "embarrassment for Group CEO Christian Sewing," who had recently promised to swiftly get the problems under control.

Rheinmetall is one of the companies that joined the DAX in 2023, and CEO Armin Papperger quickly ascended to the third position in the CEO Impact Ranking 2023. The top manager is portrayed by the media as a "man of action" who adeptly secures lucrative orders, a perception reflected in the company's figures. On the occasion of the half-yearly report, Die Welt reports that Rheinmetall has never “been awarded as many orders in such a short period as in the past few months.” Additionally, in the third quarter, Rheinmetall “achieved significantly higher profits thanks to lucrative deals in weapons and ammunition,” Die Welt continues. Focus, quoting the creators of an ARD documentary, states that under Papperger’s leadership, the company succeeded in rising from the perceived shadows to become a prized asset in the German economy.

Oliver Zipse (BMW) and Ola Källenius (Mercedes-Benz) on place four and five

Oliver Zipse (BMW) and Ola Källenius (Mercedes-Benz), the CEOs of the two traditional car manufacturers, complete the top 5 of the CEO Impact Ranking. Similar to their counterpart at Volkswagen, the media coverage for these CEOs centers around the topic of electromobility. Another prominent theme is the introduction of new vehicle models in the luxury class. At BMW, this is exemplified by the “New Class”, slated to roll off the assembly line from 2025 and unveiled by Zipse at the IAA Mobility. At the same time, Zipse continues to emphasize his openness to various technologies publicly, saying that BMW is the only European manufacturer actively testing hydrogen technology. Furthermore, BMW is in discussions with partner Toyota about the further development of hydrogen fuel cell technology. “For a global premium manufacturer” like BMW, such a technology-orientated approach “remains the right path for decarbonizing mobility in the foreseeable future,” Zipse told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Fifth place in the CEO Impact Ranking goes to Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, who also came in fifth place in the third quarter. Recently, the executive has been in the media spotlight discussing quarterly results. There was a slight decline in car sales, but overall, the Stuttgart-based car manufacturer expects results to be at the previous year's level. The CEO, who is pursuing a luxury strategy at Mercedes Benz, remains relatively unfazed about the looming competition from China in the electric vehicle sector. “Few brands have built such an impeccable image around luxury vehicles as the company with the star. Under CEO Ola Källenius, luxury became the top priority for the former Daimler Group AG,” writes Börse Online.

The other CEOs in the Top 10 ranking included: Belén Garijo (Merck, sixth place), Roland Busch (Siemens, seventh place), Martin Brudermüller (BASF, eighth place), Christian Klein (SAP, ninth place) und Guillaume Faury (Airbus, tenth place).

For the CEO Impact Ranking 2023, UNICEPTA evaluated around 9,767 articles from 116 German and international print and online media, published between January and November 2023. The ranking is based on results from the UNICEPTA “DAX benchmark”, which the media intelligence provider uses to continuously record the media presence of all DAX companies and their CEOs as well as the probability of reception, focus, and tone of media reporting.