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Siemens Investor Deka to Vote Against Jim Hagemann Snabe’s Reelection as Chairman

Deka Investment, a shareholder of Siemens, has announced it will vote against the reelection of Jim Hagemann Snabe as chairman at the German engineering company’s upcoming shareholder meeting on Thursday. Snabe, who has served on Siemens’ supervisory board since 2013 and as chairman since 2018, is seeking an additional two-year term.

Deka, which owns 0.79% of Siemens and is the 11th largest investor in the company, raised concerns about Snabe’s continued leadership. Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka, stated that Snabe’s decade-long tenure means he no longer meets the company’s criteria for independence. The fund manager’s objections were first revealed in an interview with The Market, a German news portal.

Snabe, who previously served as CEO of SAP, had stated in December 2024 that he intended to stay on as chairman for two more years to oversee his succession. Former Nestlé and Fresenius CEO Mark Schneider has been suggested as a potential successor and is up for election to Siemens’ board on Thursday.

Despite Deka’s opposition, Snabe remarked that his discussions with investors and proxy advisers had yielded positive feedback, and he had not encountered any significant opposition to his proposed extension.

South Korean Prosecutors to Appeal Ruling in Samsung Chief’s Case

South Korean prosecutors have announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court following an appeals court’s ruling that found Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee not guilty of charges related to a 2015 merger. The case revolves around an $8 billion merger between two Samsung affiliates, which prosecutors argued was designed to solidify Lee’s control over the tech giant. However, the Seoul High Court ruled on February 3 that all charges should be dismissed, stating that the merger did not cause financial harm to minority shareholders.

Lee, who has long been entangled in legal challenges, including those stemming from this merger, denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he never intended to deceive investors for personal gain. The decision follows a history of legal troubles for Lee, including his 18-month imprisonment on bribery charges in connection with a scandal that led to the 2017 impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye.

Despite the favorable ruling, Lee continues to face ongoing legal risks as Samsung deals with increasing competition and sluggish stock performance. Samsung has declined to comment on the recent developments.