Jürgen H. Fechter, currently Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Stainless GmbH, Duisburg, and Executive Board Chairman of ThyssenKrupp Nirosta GmbH, Krefeld, will take over as Chairman of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Stainless GmbH with effect from 1 April 2004. Also with effect from 1 April 2004 Fechter has been appointed to the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, Duisburg. In both these functions he succeeds Dr. Helmut G. Hadrys, who is taking retirement on 31 March 2004. Dr. Jörg Beindorf, currently member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Nirosta GmbH, has been appointed Chairman of the Executive Board with effect from 1 April 2004. On 1 January 2004 Dr. Alfred Otto, formerly head of Materials and Applications Development at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta, took over the sales directorate from Jürgen H. Fechter. Fechter will remain as Executive Board Chairman of ThyssenKrupp Nirosta GmbH until 31 March 2004.