Press News

Bonn, April 7, 2005

Deutsche Telekom is mourning the death of Konrad F. Reiss. The 47 year old member of Deutsche Telekom’s Board of Management responsible for the Business Customers strategic business unit and CEO of T-Systems died suddenly and totally unexpectedly on Wednesday night.

Kai-Uwe Ricke, Chairman of the Board of Management, paid tribute to Mr. Reiss as a man with formidable professional experience. “He showed great commitment in actively contributing to the reorientation of Deutsche Telekom AG. Konrad F. Reiss understood how to lead a highly motivated team with competence. We have lost an outstanding colleague. Many of us have also lost a good friend. Our sympathy goes to his family, wife and three children.”

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom AG, Klaus Zumwinkel, also paid his respects to Konrad F. Reiss as a personality “that earned an excellent reputation and lasting merits nationally and internationally through his commitment and outstanding skills.”

Mr. Reiss was born on December 23, 1957 in Bartenstein. After studying Business Management in Berlin and Erlangen-Nürnberg and holding his first jobs, he became founder and managing director of two consulting firms in 1986. Following the sale of these companies to Cap Gemini, Konrad F. Reiss held various management positions within the Cap Gemini Group: from 1993 as Global Head of LMR Discipline (Leadership, Mobilization & Renewal), from 1994 as European Head of the DI/DS market teams (Diversified Industries/Diversified Services), and from 1995 as Head of the Central Region and member of the Global Executive Board of the Gemini Consulting Group. He was also the Managing Director of Cap Gemini Deutschland from 1998. In 2000, he joined the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler Services AG, where he was responsible for debis IT services (CEO of debis Systemhaus). In 2001, BlueChipBusiness Laboratories was founded.

Konrad F. Reiss was a member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG from early 2003. On January 20, 2003, he was appointed CEO of T-Systems International GmbH. He became chairman of the Steering and Shareholders' Committee of Toll Collect GmbH on March 16, 2004. Mr. Reiss put the toll system back on the path to success through systematic project management after it had received considerable public criticism. From January 1, 2005, Konrad F. Reiss was responsible for Deutsche Telekom’s newly formed Business Customers strategic business unit under the T-Systems brand.
Konrad F. Reiss also held positions on the Supervisory Boards of subsidiaries and affiliates – from February 2003 as member, and as of March 2003, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Detecon International GmbH and from May 2003 as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom Network Projects&Services GmbH.

He was also a member of the Executive Board of the industry association Bundesvereinigung Logistik, a member of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, a member of the Foreign Trade Advisory Council of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Labor and a member of the board of the Federal Association of the Information Industry, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM).

Chairman Kai-Uwe Ricke will temporarily assume responsibility for the Business Customers strategic business unit on the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG. Wilfried Peters, responsible for Finance & Controlling at T-Systems, will act as Chairman of the Managing Board of T-Systems International GmbH until a successor is found.