Specification to promote the participation of women in executive positions pursuant to Sections 76 Paragraph 4 and 111 Paragraph 5 of the German Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz - AktG)
Promotion of women in executive positions
An adequate representation of women in the workforce and, in particular, among the executives, provides an important added value to the Biotest Group. The “German Act on the Equal Participation of Women and Men in Executive Positions in the Private Economy and the Public Service”, as amended and supplemented by the "Act to Supplement and Amend the Regulations for the Equal Participation of Women in Leadership Positions in the Private Sector and in the Public Sector" (so-called "Second Leadership Positions Act"), which came into force on 12 August 2021, provides that companies such as Biotest AG, which are listed on the stock exchange and are subject to co-determination in accordance with the One-Third Participation Act (Drittelbeteiligungsgesetz), must set their own targets for gender participation for the Supervisory Board, the Board of Management and subordinate management levels.
In accordance with this, Biotest AG set target figures for the participation of women in executive positions, which are to be met by June 30, 2026. The target figure for the first two management levels was set at 35% until June 30, 2026. The Management Board has decided to leave the target figure at 35% and will critically review the target figure in the future based on developments.
Women on the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board of Biotest AG is composed of six members, four of whom represent the shareholders, and two of whom represent the employees. Until September 30, 2024, one woman was elected to the Supervisory Board as representative of the shareholders. Since November 28, 2024, all representatives of the shareholders have been male. Both of the representatives of the employees are male. The target variable has fallen below the minimum target of 30 % women.
Women on the Board of Management
Until September 10, 2024, Ms Ainhoa Mendizabal was a member of the Board of Management of the Company and was responsible for Finance, Controlling, Investor Relations and Insurance. Until September 10, 2024, the target of 33 % for women on the Board of Management was met. Since then, all members of the Board of Management are male and the target is thus not met.
The Supervisory Board does not consider a change in the composition of the Board of Management or an increase of the number of members solely for the purpose of increasing the proportion of women to be appropriate. Due to the urgency, the professional qualifications and experience were the deciding factors for the selection of Mr Martin Möller as an additional member of the Management Board. By June 30, 2026, the proportion of women on the Board of Management is to increase again to at least 33%.
Women at the first and second management level
The Board of Management of Biotest AG has set a target figure of 30 % for the participation of women at the first management level by January 1, 2025 and has exceeded this target by December 31, 2024 with 46.2 %. The target figure for the second management level was set at 30 % by January 1, 2025 and as of December 31, 2024, the proportion of women at that management level was 28.0 %. The proportion of women at Biotest group level (1,397 female employees) was 52.4 % as of December 31, 2024.