Prof. Axel Stepken elected as the new OAV Chairman

At the Annual General Meeting held on Friday, 6th November 2020, Prof. Axel Stepken, Chairman of the Board of Management of TÜV SÜD AG, has been elected as new Chairman of the OAV His predecessor, Hans-Georg Frey, led the association for six years and steps down after two terms, in accordance with the organisations’ statutes.

Prof. Stepken praised the work of his predecessor: “Mr. Frey certainly leaves a very strong and positive legacy. During his tenure, he specifically focused on establishing new event formats and initiatives and the further development of the Young Leaders program. As the new Chairman, I would like to continue on this path. In addition, we will advance digitisation with regard to member services, networking and communication.” Prof. Stepken looks forward to working closely with the various bodies of the association and member companies to this end.

Prof. Stepken has been associated with the OAV for a long time and has been a Member of the Board since 2005 and a Member of the Executive Committee since 2008. In addition, he is Co-Chair of the German Singapore Business Forum and has been in charge of the Singapore Country Committee of the OAV for many years. He takes over the chairmanship at a time of new opportunities but also growing challenges for German companies in Asia. “In the last few years, but especially in this eventful year, we have experienced how unforeseen developments can directly influence the activities of German companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Nevertheless, I am optimistic that, as an association, members will be able to grasp the many opportunities of the Asian century."