Defense Takes Center Stage: Armin Papperger Tops the CEO-Impact-Ranking in the Second Quarter of 2026

The second quarter of 2026 was marked by growing geopolitical uncertainty and mounting pressure on Germany as a business location. The war in the Middle East drove up energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and weighed on investment, while defense capabilities and technological sovereignty moved to the forefront of economic policy discussions.

These developments are clearly reflected in the latest CEO-Impact-Ranking by UNICEPTA. Defense and industrial policy topics have become significantly more prominent across the media agenda. Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, climbs from ninth place to the top of the ranking. Oliver Blume follows in second place, with Ola Källenius ranking third. Papperger’s media presence was driven by strong business prospects, rising order expectations, and ongoing debates surrounding European defense cooperation, counter-drone technologies, and military artificial intelligence.

Handelsblatt highlights Papperger’s call for global rules governing the use of artificial intelligence in weapons systems. Addressing the issue of maintaining human oversight of autonomous systems, the newspaper quotes him as saying: “We do not manufacture a single system in which humans do not make the final decision.” The article presents this statement as reflecting Rheinmetall’s ethical approach while noting that more advanced levels of automation are already technologically feasible.

Another major focus is the planned cooperation between Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom on counter-drone capabilities. Bild reports on a joint defense shield designed to protect cities and critical infrastructure, quoting Papperger as saying: “The drone threat is highly digital.” According to the report, Rheinmetall’s defense technologies will be combined with Deutsche Telekom’s network expertise.

The future of the German-French Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) also shaped media coverage during the quarter. Die Welt reports that, according to Papperger, France is planning significant budget cuts to the project. The article suggests that this could result in reductions to planned work-share allocations and further delays. Papperger is quoted as saying: “If less funding is available, progress will not become any faster—and we are already moving far too slowly.” The coverage positions his comments within the broader debate surrounding the financing and future of Europe's flagship defense program.

Restructuring and Resilience Define the Automotive Industry: Blume and Källenius Rank Second and Third

After leading the ranking for several consecutive quarters, Oliver Blume drops to second place. During the second quarter, media coverage of the Volkswagen CEO focused primarily on cost-cutting measures, workforce reductions, excess production capacity, and the company’s ongoing transformation.

tagesschau reports on the increasingly challenging economic environment, quoting Blume as saying: “Our situation is tense and challenging.” At the same time, he defended Volkswagen’s cost-cutting strategy and the adjustment of its production capacity. Media reports also highlighted the potential scale of workforce reductions at the company. manager magazin reported that as many as 100,000 jobs could ultimately be eliminated.

Another major topic was the future of Volkswagen’s Osnabrück plant. Bild quotes Blume as saying: “Starting in 2027, we will no longer manufacture Volkswagen Group products in Osnabrück and are therefore engaged in intensive discussions with companies from the defense industry.” At the same time, he ruled out weapons manufacturing, stating: “We will not produce weapons.” According to the report, potential areas of cooperation could include vehicles for military transport.

Ola Källenius climbs from eighth to third place. His media presence was shaped by electrification, innovation, and Mercedes-Benz’s positioning in an increasingly challenging market environment. In an interview with Die Welt on Europe's competitiveness, he stated: “We are at a turning point and must now achieve economic success, resilience, and decarbonization simultaneously.”

In addition, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mercedes-Benz is fundamentally willing to participate in defense production if commercially viable conditions are met. Källenius emphasized that Europe must strengthen its defense capabilities. In the newspaper's English-language interview, he stated: “If there is an opportunity for us to play a constructive role, we would be prepared to do so.”

Legal Relief and Takeover Battle: Anderson and Orlopp Rank Fourth and Fifth

Bill Anderson remains in fourth place. Once again, media coverage centered on Bayer’s ongoing glyphosate litigation, although the outlook was considerably more positive than in the previous quarter. Among others, Handelsblatt and CNBC highlighted the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision as an important development for Bayer, strengthening the company’s position in parts of the litigation and potentially limiting its long-term legal risks.

At the same time, Anderson’s transformation of the company remained a key topic. FOCUS quotes him as saying: “My goal is to make Bayer the leanest, fastest, and most innovative life sciences company in the world.” The article places the statement in the context of his broader agenda to reduce bureaucracy, empower teams to make more independent decisions, and accelerate processes across the organization.

Bettina Orlopp ranks fifth. Media coverage of the Commerzbank CEO was dominated by UniCredit’s takeover ambitions. Throughout the quarter, Orlopp publicly advocated for the bank’s independence while seeking the support of shareholders.

n-tv quotes her from a joint statement issued by the Management Board and Supervisory Board: “What UniCredit describes as a merger is, in reality, a restructuring proposal that would fundamentally alter our proven and profitable business model.” Handelsblatt also highlights her direct appeal to shareholders, while WirtschaftsWoche emphasizes her increasingly proactive role in defending the bank against the takeover attempt. As a result, media attention focused on Commerzbank’s future, the evaluation of UniCredit’s proposal, and the bank’s strategic independence.

The remaining positions in the Top 10 are: Christian Klein of SAP in sixth place, Christian Sewing of Deutsche Bank in seventh, Bjørn Gulden of Adidas in eighth, Timotheus Höttges of Deutsche Telekom in ninth, and Markus Kamieth of BASF in tenth.

For the CEO-Impact-Ranking, UNICEPTA’s Media Intelligence experts analyzed 2,975 articles published between April and June 2026 across 116 German and international print and online media outlets. The ranking is based on results from the UNICEPTA DAX Benchmark, which continuously measures the media presence of all DAX-listed companies and their CEOs, as well as the reach potential, focus, and sentiment of media coverage.