Werder Bremen: Supervisory Board elects without football expertise!

Werder Bremen: Supervisory Board elects without football expertise!

The Werder Bremen football club is in focus these days because the new appointments to its supervisory board are causing quite a stir. The election committee began its work in mid-2024 and must now elect candidates for four positions in November. The focus of the discussion is the association's clear goal: increasing the proportion of women on the committee. Although Ulrike Hiller is leaving involuntarily, there are two promising candidates in the starting blocks: the former player Freyhat and the economic expert Reuter.

However, a look at the current composition of the supervisory board is suspicious. Nine members decide the fate of the men's team, but none of them can point to a top-class playing career. This raises the question of whether it would be necessary to anchor more football expertise in the committee. While Freyhat brings knowledge of the game, she lacks experience in men's professional soccer, leading some to debate whether she is the right fit for the board. Axel Plaat, coach of the A-youth team and known for his title win in 1999, is also discussed as a competent addition.

Proportion of women on the supervisory board: A review

The underlying trend towards increasing the proportion of women on supervisory boards cannot only be observed at Werder Bremen. According to a recent survey, the proportion of women on supervisory boards in the private sector is 37.5% and in the public sector it is as high as 38.9%. This positive development is largely due to the Leadership Positions Act, which has been in force since 2015 and aims to promote equality in leadership positions. In particular, the law contributed to the fact that as of January 1, 2016, a women's quota of 30% applies to new appointments on the supervisory boards of listed companies.

Another aspect that is interesting: Since the turn of the year 2024/2025, the proportion of women on boards of directors has been 19.6%, with the supervisory boards of the 178 companies examined averaging 37.2%. These figures show that legal regulations actually have an impact. Lisa Paus, the Federal Minister for Women, emphasizes that legal quotas are necessary to achieve progress. Anja Seng, President of FidAR, is also in favor of extending gender quotas to large companies with more than 500 employees.

The way forward

In view of the discussions and the legal requirements, one thing is clear: Werder Bremen's supervisory board has the opportunity to send a signal for equality and more diversity. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to continue to bring qualified women into leadership positions and to integrate the urgently needed football expertise into the committee. What is certain is that the next steps for the club are groundbreaking, not only for its own development, but also as an example for other clubs and organizations.

At a time when the pressure on companies to promote diversity is growing, Werder Bremen could position itself as a pioneer with the right composition on the supervisory board. The coming elections could play a decisive role here, and it will be exciting to see how the situation develops in November.