Rüdiger Grube is one of Germany’s most recognised leaders. He was Chief Executive and Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG from 2009 to 2017 and is the designated Chairman of the Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG HHLA which is among Europe’s leading port logistics companies.
After technical training in metal aircraft construction at Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, Grube went on to study automotive engineering and aircraft construction at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, graduating as a qualified engineer. Subsequently he studied vocational and business teaching at the University of Hamburg. Between 1981 and 1986 he was adjunct professor for production engineering in Hamburg and in 1982 he was also an instructor at the Hamburg vocational school for aircraft engineering and production, before completing a doctorate in business and employment studies in 1986.
He then worked as a freelance consultant for Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm and went on to work in a number of managerial posts at MBB, Deutsche Airbus GmbH and Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG. From 1996 to 1999 he was Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Strategy at Daimler-Benz AG and DaimlerChrysler AG. After a few months as CEO of Häussler-Gruppe in 2000 he returned to DaimlerChrysler as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and Head of Post-Merger-Integration, before becoming a Member of the Board of Management. From 2007 to 2009 Grube was a Member of the Board of Management at DaimlerChrsyler AG (later Daimler AG) and was responsible for corporate development and equity interests as well as mergers and acquisitions and from 2004 onwards he was also responsible for all business in Northeast Asia. From 2009 to 2017 he was CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG.
Grube has also been a member of numerous Supervisory Boards and Boards of Directors for companies such as Hyundai Motors, McLaren-Mercedes, Mitsubishi Motors as well as the Hamburg-Port Authority HPA. Since 2009 he has been a Member of the Advisory Council of Deutsche Bank and a member of the Joint Advisory Council of the Allianz Companies Allianz SE.
