Board of Governors

Tasks of the Board of Governors

(1)   The Board of Governors supervises the legality, expediency and efficiency­ of the administration­ of the Foundation's business. Taking the opinion of the Scientific Advisory Board­ into consideration,­ the Board of Governors­ makes decisions on the basic issues­ concerning the Foundation, including financial matters.

(2)    After consulting the Board of Directors and the Foundation's advisory committees, the Board of Governors shall reach decisions on strategic and programme-related issues in the field of research­, including the professional expertise of prominent positions in the scientific field.

(3)      The Board of Governors defines the annual budget and­ multiannual­ financial plans, including the programmes­ for­ expansion and investment. The Board of Governors audits­ the annual­ financial statement and annual report presented by the Board of Directors as well as the progress report of the Centre; it states whether or not it approves­ the annual financial statement and progress report of the Centre drawn up by the Board of Directors­ and decides on the formal approval of the actions of the Board of Directors. 

(4)      In accordance with Section 17, the Board of Governors decides on amendments to the Statutes and the dissolution of the Foundation.

(5)    The Board of Governors appoints the members of the Board of Directors for a term of­ no more than five years. They may be reappointed. The Scientific Advisory Board­ and the Scientific Council­ must be consulted before members are appointed or reappointed. Only the Scientific Director must be consulted if the Board of Governors is considering the­ position of the Administrative Director.

(6)    The representative of the federal government­ on the Board of Governors shall conclude,­ amend and terminate the employment contracts with the full-time members of the Board of Directors. The Board of Governors shall be­ responsible for making claims for­ damages on behalf­ of the Foundation against members of the Board of Directors;­ to this extent, it­ represents the Foundation in court and out of court. 

(7)    The Board of Governors appoints the members of the Scientific Advisory Board.

(8)    The following requires the previous consent of the Board of Governors:

a)  exceptional measures and legal transactions that go beyond­ the scope of day-to-day operations and which could significantly influence the Foundation's activities, such as

  • important agreements on a collaboration with other national and international institutions and other facilities,
  • the purchase, sale and encumbrance of real estate and rights equivalent to real property, or
  • the acquisition, increase and sale of equity interests in companies­, 

b)  significant changes or supplements to the previous­ assignments and significant organizational changes within the Foundation, 

c)  issuing rules of procedure for the bodies.

Members

Ministry Director Stefan Müller (Chair)
Federal Ministry for Research and Education

Secretary of State Guido Wendt (Deputy Chair)
Ministry of General Education and Vocational Training, Science, Research and Cultur of the State Schleswig-Holstein

N.N.
President, Kiel University

Prof. Dr. Frank Kempken
Dean of the Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Kiel University 

Prof. Dr. Monika Rhein
Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board

Prof. Dr. Nicole Dubilier               
Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen

Prof. Dr. Babette Simon                              
Professeur Associé, Faculté Médecine, Paris Descartes

Monika Breuch-Moritz                 
President (ret.) Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, Hamburg

Nikolaus Gelpke
mareverlag GmbH & Co. oHG 

Guests (consulting)

Prof. Dr. Katja Matthes
Director

Frank Spiekermann
Administrative director

Prof. Dr. Lars Rüpke
Chair of the scientific council

Dr. Jörg Bialas
Scientific representative of the staff council

Bettina Domeyer
Chair of the staff council and non-scientific representative of the staff council

Ruth Thormann
Equal rights representative

Permanent representative

Prof. Dr. Otmar D. Wiestler
President of the Helmholtz Association of Germen Research Centres

  • Dr. Jan Helmke

    GEOMAR
    Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
    Wischhofstr. 1-3
    24148 Kiel
    Phone: +49 431 600-2818
    E-mail: jhelmke@geomar.de

    Assistent:
    Director's Office
    Phone: +49 431 600-2820
    E-Mail: office-director(at)geomar.de