Commitees

There are currently four Supervisory Board committees. Their purpose is to improve the efficiency of the Supervisory Board's work and to address complex issues. The chairs of the respective committees report regularly on their committees' work to the Supervisory Board.

Nomination Committee

The nomination committee was established in accordance with the German Corporate Governance Code, to make recommendations to the Supervisory Board concerning proposals to elect Supervisory Board members representing the shareholders. The nomination committee is exclusively composed of shareholder representatives.

Jella S. Benner-Heinacher, Meerbusch, Shareholder represenative
Managing Director of the Deutsche Schutzvereinigung für Wertpapierbesitz e.V.
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 21.11.2007

Dr. Bernd Malmström, Berlin, Shareholder represenative
Lawyer, Advisor to the Board of Executive Directors of Deutsche Bahn AG
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 21.11.2007

Dr. Rudolf Müller, Ochsenfurt, Shareholder representative
Former member of the Board of Executive Directors of Südzucker AG
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 19.10.2009

Personnel Committee

The personnel committee is responsible for making preparations connected with the appointment of members of the Board of Executive Directors, long-term succession planning and for determining the terms and conditions of their contracts of employment including remuneration. The remuneration is determined at an appropriate level on the basis of performance and encompasses fixed and variable components. In the case of share options and comparable arrangements of the variable remuneration component, a cap has to be agreed for extraordinary and unforeseeable developments. The age limit for members of the Board of Executive Directors is 65 years.

Dr. Ralf Bethke, Deidesheim, Chairman, Shareholder represenative
Former CEO of K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2012
First Appointment in committee: 14.05.2008

Rainer Grohe, Otterstadt, Shareholder represenative
Former Executive Director of the Galileo Joint Undertaking
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 06.05.1998

Klaus Krüger, Wolmirstedt, Employee representative
Chairman of the Group Works Council of the K+S Group
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 14.05.2008

Michael Vassiliadis, Hemmingen, Employee representative
chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Mining, Chemicals and Energy Trade Union
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 07.05.2003

Audit comitee

The audit committee is responsible for

examining the annual financial statements, the consolidated financial statements, the management reports and the proposal for the appropriation of profits submitted by the Board of Executive Directors,
proposing the appointment of the auditors,
determining the main topics to be covered by the audit,
auditors remuneration and independence, and
dealing with compliance and risk management systems.

Dr. Eckart Sünner, Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße, Chairman, Shareholder represenative
Lawyer, Of Counsel, Allen & Overy LLP
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 16.03.2005

Ralf Becker, Lindwedel, Employee representative
State District Manager North of IG BCE (Mining, Chemicals and Energy Trade Union), Hanover
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 24.08.2011

Dr. Ralf Bethke, Deidesheim, Shareholder represenative
Former CEO of K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2012
First Appointment in committee: 14.05.2008

Dr. Karl Heidenreich, Mannheim, Shareholder represenative
Former member of the Board of Executive Directors of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 16.03.2005

Klaus Krüger, Wolmirstedt, Employee representative
Chairman of the Group Works Council of the K+S Group
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 16.03.2005

Michael Vassiliadis, Hemmingen, Employee representative
Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Mining, Chemicals and Energy Trade Union
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 16.03.2005

Mediation Committee

The mediation committee, which is formed in accordance with the German Co-Determination Act, consists of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, his representative, and one member chosen from each of the shareholder and employee representatives. It submits proposals to the Supervisory Board concerning the appointment of members of the Board of Executive Directors, if the required two-thirds majority should not have been obtained in the first round of voting.

Dr. Ralf Bethke, Deidesheim, Chairman, Shareholder represenative
Former CEO of K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2012
First Appointment in committee: 14.05.2008

Klaus Krüger, Wolmirstedt, Employee representative
Chairman of the Group Works Council of the K+S Group
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 25.08.1999

Dr. Eckart Sünner, Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße, Shareholder represenative
Lawyer, Of Counsel, Allen & Overy LLP
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 28.04.1992

Michael Vassiliadis, Hemmingen, Employee representative
Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Mining, Chemicals and Energy Trade Union
Mandate until the end of the ordinary Annual General Meeting 2013
First Appointment in committee: 07.05.2003