Ex-politician to head Bilfinger Berger

Roland Koch has been appointed to succeed Herbert Bodner as chairman of the executive board of German-based Bilfinger Berger.

Supervisory board chairman Dr Bernhard Walter said, "The leadership skills demonstrated time and again by Roland Koch make him the ideal candidate to continue the very successful development of Bilfinger Berger and to lead the company into a strong future."

Mr Koch will assume a position on the executive board from March 1, 2011, and will take over as chairman on July 1. At that time, Mr Bodner will retire after 14 years on the executive board, including 12 as chairman.

Mr Koch is a former politician, having served as Minister-President of Hesse from 1999, and as President of the Bundesrat, the federal legislative body that represents the 16 federal states within Germany. He resigned from politics in August.