Mr Dinstuhl, you can look back on a long career at thyssenkrupp. Not only since the sale of Elevator have you been recognized as a proven specialist in mergers and acquisitions. What does this mean for your new role on the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG?

Two major topics on my agenda will of course remain: The independence and search for partners for our steel and marine businesses. It's also about opening up potential new areas of development for individual businesses, just as we did with thyssenkrupp nucera. New areas of development also play an important role in my Executive Board responsibility for the Automotive Technology segment and the China region.

Automotive Technology has recently grown both in terms of incoming orders and sales. One might think it would be an easy job on the Management Board to be responsible for the segment…

First of all, the automotive industry is structurally a very competitive sector. As you can see in the press at the moment, the difficult economic environment is also affecting the automotive supply industry. That is why performance must be continuously improved. This applies to every Business Unit and every location. But the profitability of individual customers will also become more important. We need to consolidate Auto's good position in sustainable technologies and utilize the growth potential of e-mobility. This will also enable us to drive forward the green transformation. I am focusing on this together with the segment's Executive Board.

This means that the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG will focus more on the operating business. Do you fear friction here with the business units, which were asked to be more independent not so long ago?

As a Group, we are under great pressure to act; performance must be improved in all areas. The clear responsibility of the AG Management Board creates more transparency for everyone. I don't see it as my job to make things more difficult for the segment, but rather to organize cooperation more efficiently.

What are the most important goals you want to achieve in 2024?

The solutions for the steel and marine business have top priority. I have already mentioned the goals for Automotive: increasing efficiency and performance. Incidentally, this applies to all segments. In my additional responsibility for the China region, I would like to help ensure that the potential of this huge market is utilized even better.

Finally, a personal question: You are regarded as an excellent chess player. Is this reflected in your work?

Chess requires strategic thinking in order to plan several moves in advance and anticipate the consequences of actions - this is well known and of course also important in my professional position. Perhaps even more important, however, is patience: chess games require perseverance, as they can take a very long time. This is particularly useful in the field of mergers and acquisitions. And creativity is also part of chess. This can be very helpful when faced with complex challenges.