Evelyn Palla will take the reins as CEO on 1 October
Deutsche Bahn has appointed Evelyn Palla as its new CEO and chair of the management board.
Palla, currently the CEO of Deutsche Bahn's regional arm, will become the first female CEO of the German rail giant when she takes the helm on 1 October. She succeeds outgoing boss Dr Richard Lutz, who will leave the role two years early on 30 September as part of “a structural and personnel realignment”.
An Italian native, Palla joined the state-owned rail company in 2019 as the CFO of its long-distance rail division before being appointed as CEO of regional transport in 2022. Prior to that she held several procurement and supervisory board positions with Austrian rail operator ÖBB.
Commenting on the appointment, DB supervisory board chairman Werner Gatzer, said: "With her outstanding operational and strategic skills, Evelyn Palla has proven her ability to complete transformation projects with success in her time at leading European corporations… We are confident that DB can make a successful new start with Evelyn Palla at the helm.”
Gatzer also thanked Lutz for his more than 30 years of service with the company. "Richard Lutz has made a definitive impact on the Group's development over a period of more than 30 years, first as a controller and as CFO and, since 2017, as chairman of the management board and CEO,” he added.