German pension association Arbeitsgemeinschaft für betriebliche Altersversorgung e.V. (ABA) has appointed Beate Petry as its new chairwoman.

Petry, a member of the ABA association for occupational pensions board since 2022, took over as chair on 13 May at the 87th ABA annual conference.

She succeeds Dr. Georg Thurnes, who has held the position since May 2019. He will remain on the board until the whole board is re-elected in May 2026.

Since June 2022, Petry has headed BASF's occupational pension plan in Germany for 50,000 active employees and over 50,000 retirees, coordinating the company's pension activities globally.

In January 2025, she became chairwoman of the board of executive directors of BASF Pensionskasse VVaG.

She is also chairwoman of the board of the German Pension Insurance Rhineland-Palatinate and a member of the federal board of the German Pension Insurance, as well as a member of the committee for occupational pensions and the social security committee of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA).

Petry praised her predecessor's commitment to the ABA and occupational pension schemes: "With enormous dedication, you have advanced the ABA over the past six years, alongside your independent work as a consultant.

"You used the coronavirus pandemic to advance digitalisation at the ABA office and develop new digital offerings and digital event formats for the benefit of members," she continued.

"You played an equally active role in shaping ABA's input into the expert dialogue, strengthening occupational pensions, and the ‘private pension provision’ focus
group, and all ABA papers and statements on EU and regulatory issues.

"Thanks to your extensive professional expertise, you were able to closely monitor the implementation of the Federal Pensions Act (BRSG)."

"Like few others, you have emphasised the importance of intergenerational equity and lifelong benefits as essential features of a fair and sustainable pension policy in the context of the pension reform discussions in Germany," Petry concluded.

Meanwhile, the ABA also announced two other changes to its executive board.

Dr. Henriette Meissner is stepping down from the ABA executive board after nine years and simultaneously handing over the leadership of the ABA professional association of support funds, a position she held for the past ten years.

The ABA executive board has appointed Samir Koudhai, the deputy head of the ABA professional association of support funds, as the new head of the professional association and to the ABA executive board.

In addition, Gregor Asshoff, a board member of SOKA-BAU—ZVK-Bau AG / ULAK, a member of the ABA board, and deputy head of the ABA pension fund association since 2020, is stepping down from his ABA positions.

The ABA board has subsequently co-opted Werner Schneider, a board member of SOKA-BAU - ZVK-Bau AG / ULAK, to the ABA board, effective 15 May 2025.

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