Press Release

Michael Bolle appointed chairman of Carl Zeiss AG Supervisory Board

16 December 2021

Oberkochen, Germany | 16 December 2021 | ZEISS Group

The Carl Zeiss AG shareholders' meeting has appointed Dr. Michael Bolle the new Supervisory Board member to represent the sole shareholder the Carl Zeiss Foundation. He will be elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Carl Zeiss AG in January 2022. Dr. Bolle will succeed Dr. Dieter Kurz, whose mandate as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Carl Zeiss AG will end on 31 December 2021 after almost ten years. Effective 1 January 2022, Dr. Bolle will also take over from Dr. Kurz as Chairman of the Shareholder Council of the Carl Zeiss Foundation and will represent all the shareholder interests of the Foundation.

Since 2012 Dr. Kurz has held the positions of Chairman of the Shareholder Council of the Carl Zeiss Foundation and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Carl Zeiss AG. He joined ZEISS back in 1979 and since 2001 served as spokesman and President and CEO of ZEISS. "We would like to sincerely thank Dieter Kurz for his decades of commitment to ZEISS and for the exceptional and successful collaboration in his role as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. We wish him all the very best going forward," said Dr. Karl Lamprecht, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG.

Dr. Bolle has a PhD in engineering and has held executive positions at Bosch since 1992 – taking a break from 1999 through 2002 to establish a high-tech startup. Most recently he was Member of the Management Board of Robert Bosch GmbH, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). During his time at Bosch, Dr. Bolle was the driving force behind the creation of the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence and helped to link up the Internet of Things with artificial intelligence (AIoT).

"We look forward to working with Dr. Bolle. His high level of skill and vast experience in matters related to the global economy, particularly in the area of digitalization, have equipped him to face the challenges that lie ahead," said Dr. Lamprecht.

Press contact Jörg Nitschke

Head of Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs
ZEISS Group

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 6.3 billion euros in its four segments Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets, and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (updated: 30 September 2020).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces, and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, as well as medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 12% of its revenue in research and development work – ZEISS has a long tradition of high expenditure in these areas. This also represents the company's investment in the future.

With over 34,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 30 production sites, 60 sales and service companies and 27 research and development facilities. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company Carl Zeiss AG (updated: 31 March 2021).

Further information at www.zeiss.com