Evelyn Palla will assume the role of Chair of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Deutsche Bahn AG on 1 October 2025, succeeding Dr. Richard Lutz, who is stepping down by mutual agreement.
Palla joined Deutsche Bahn in 2019 and currently manages the DB Regio AG business unit, overseeing operations and working closely with employees.
With her outstanding operational and strategic skills, Evelyn Palla has proven her ability to complete transformation projects with success in her time at leading European corporations, most recently at Deutsche Bahn, which she joined in 2019. She has steered the DB Regio AG business unit from stormy weather to calm waters along with the many people involved, not least the employees who serve millions of customers every day. We are confident that DB can make a successful new start with Evelyn Palla at the helm, and that the agenda for rail customer satisfaction presented by the Federal Ministry of Transport can be implemented promptly.
Evelyn Palla, born in 1973 in the South Tyrol region of northern Italy, began her professional career at Infineon Technologies AG in 1997. She joined E.ON AG in 2003, working across Munich, Cologne, and Milan. In 2011, she moved to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in Vienna, becoming Member of the Board for Regional Transport at ÖBB Personenverkehr AG in 2015 and Chair of the Supervisory Board of ÖBB Postbus AG.
Palla joined Deutsche Bahn in February 2019 as Chief Financial Officer of DB Fernverkehr AG and was appointed Member of the Board for Regional Transport at Deutsche Bahn AG in July 2022.
Deutsche Bahn’s Supervisory Board has also expressed gratitude to Dr. Richard Lutz for his contributions to Deutsche Bahn over more than 30 years. Lutz held various positions including controller, CFO, and since 2017, Chair of the Management Board and CEO.
Supervisory Board Chairman Gatzer said:Richard Lutz has made a definitive impact on the Group's development over a period of more than 30 years, first as a controller and as CFO and, since 2017, as Chairman of the Management Board and CEO. The Strong Rail strategy he implemented has played a crucial part in facilitating the turnaround in Germany's transport policy and has been a guiding light for everyone at DB in times marked by extreme operational challenges. Furthermore, by overseeing the launch of the S3 turnaround program last year, he initiated the restructuring of the Group in the three dimensions infrastructure, operations and profitability and achieved tangible successes early on. On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Richard Lutz for his service to DB.
