DB Group
Organizational structure
DB AG is the parent company of DB Group. It has been a stock corporation under German law since it was founded in 1994 and accordingly has a dual management and control structure comprising a Management Board and a Supervisory Board. It is wholly owned by the Federal Republic of Germany. The changes in the composition of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board are presented in the Supervisory Board report.
DB Group is a leading provider in the mobility and logistics sector. DB Group primarily consists of the Integrated Rail System and the two major international subsidiaries DB Schenker and DB Arriva. Our national and international services give us leading market positions in our relevant markets. With a length of about 33,000 km, we operate Europe’s longest rail network. We are also one of the largest energy suppliers in Germany.
DB Group, with its head office in Berlin, employs about 292,000 people (excluding DB Arriva). DB AG operates all business units as an operating management holding company and supports the business units through various central group functions (including legal, corporate development, balance sheets, taxes and insurance, as well as finance and treasury) plus administrativ service units. In addition, operational service units as legally independent subsidiaries of DB AG primarily provide services for internal customers. These include DB Systel GmbH, DB Sicherheit GmbH, DB Services GmbH and DB Kommunikationstechnik GmbH.
With its Strong Rail strategy, DB Group focuses on the business operations of the Integrated Rail System. Our fundamental concern is the shift in the mode of transport towards rail. To this end, we rely on integrated operation of transport and rail infrastructure, the economically and environmentally intelligent linkage of all modes of transport, as well as cooperation in German and European networks. As a prerequisite for the further shift in the mode of transport towards rail, the highest priority is to increase operating quality with a view to increasing capacity.
Business model
DB Group offers attractive, customer-focused and environmentally friendly mobility, transport and logistics solutions and networks from a single source. We utilize the possibilities of digital technologies to improve our operational and administrative processes, to continuously develop services for customers, to integrate new services, and to simplify the customer interface. The Integrated Rail System is at the heart of our business activities. In addition, we are gradually expanding our business portfolio in the area of mobility and logistics in order to meet our customers’ needs more effectively and respond to new market demands.
Sustainability management
The topic of sustainability, with its aspects in the environmental, social and governance dimensions, is of great importance to DB Group. The focus on climate protection, but also on social issues such as employee satisfaction and the proportion of women in leadership, is also reflected in its anchoring in the Strong Rail strategy. The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is responsible for the issues of sustainability and the environment – and therefore also for climate-related opportunities and risks. The role is exercised by the CEO of DB AG. The CSO’s perspective is therefore incorporated in a very central role in all important Group decisions. In his dual role, the CEO was also significantly involved in the development of the Strong Rail strategy with regard to climate-relevant decisions. The CEO is also responsible for compliance issues. Responsibility for employee issues lies with the Member of the Management Board for Human Resources and Legal Affairs, and for occupational safety issues with the Member of the Management Board for Digitalization and Technology. In 2023, the Management Board decided, for example, to back up the climate protection target with greenhouse gas reduction paths.
The central Sustainability and Environment organizational unit is responsible for overall coordination of Group-wide sustainability issues. The Head of Sustainability and Environment is the highest function responsible for sustainability-related issues under the Management Board and reports directly to the CEO. The respective specialist departments are responsible for the content of sustainability issues. The main objective is to drive the green transformation and social responsibility of DB Group and to gradually make all products, services and operating processes more sustainable. Specific tasks include the definition of the integrated sustainability strategy, the associated Group-wide targets and key figures, their planning and monitoring, and the planning, management and implementation of Group-wide transformation projects. This will be used to make recommendations for action or guidelines for DB Group, including business units and service units. They are responsible for implementing the objectives, strategies and measures.
The structure of the variable remuneration of Management Board members, executives and other employee groups in DB Group is very much geared toward sustainability targets, with the objective of a sustainable traffic transition and the resulting noticeable CO₂e reduction of DB Group and in the transport sector in Germany in line with the Federal Government’s transport policy objectives.