In the power struggle: CEO Marcus Pöllinger (center) against supervisory board boss Klaus Lutz (right). In the background: Chief People Officer Cordula Meckenstock. picture alliance / SZ Photo | Catherina Hess / SVEN SIMON | Frank Hoermann /
It is mid-January when there is a showdown in one of Germany’s largest companies. Baywa, based in the chic Bogenhausen district of Munich not far from the English Garden, is facing a turning point. For weeks, a power struggle has been raging in the management of the company, which employs 24,000 people in over 40 countries.
On one side is CEO Marcus Pöllinger. His opponent: The powerful chairman of the supervisory board Klaus Lutz, who himself directed the company’s fortunes for 15 years and made Baywa what it is today: a global agricultural group with billions in sales. The “Sun King”, i.e. the undisputed sole ruler, was once described by the “Manager Magazine„.
What is the Baywa?
Baywa – short for Bavarian goods brokerage of agricultural cooperatives – is a stock corporation based in Munich and one of the largest companies in Germany. In 2022, the company had sales of more than 27 billion euros. Baywa primarily consists of three business areas. On the one hand, the company trades in grain, for example, and on the other hand, it is active in the construction and residential sectors and also operates solar and wind farms.
On January 19th it will finally be clear who won the power struggle. Because on that day, supervisory board chairman Lutz announced that he would be leaving Baywa. At the same time, the Supervisory Board expresses its confidence in the CEO and opponent Pöllinger. It’s the end of the Lutz era.
The Baywa headquarters in Munich. picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel
At that time, among others, reported “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”that alleged compliance violations are related to the power struggle. The details, however, have so far remained unclear. Research by Business Insider now shows for the first time what really happened behind the scenes. There is therefore a spectacular economic crime behind Lutz’s sudden departure. It’s about power struggles, intrigues and compliance allegations. The incidents could now even endanger Pöllinger’s position.