Corporate Governance

At Springer Nature, we are committed to the responsible management of our business.

We are committed to:

Operating ethically and responsibly, demonstrating transparent and effective corporate governance.
Sound operational and financial management to promote the long term interest of our company and stakeholders.
Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Acting in a sustainable and socially responsible way is core to our values.

Through our Code of Conduct and other internal policies and guidance, the principals of responsible governance, compliance with laws and ethical business conduct are embedded throughout our organisation. You can read more about these principles and our reporting on them in our Responsible Business page.

Governance Structure

Legal Structure

Legal Structure © Shutterstock Springer Nature is organised as a German partnership limited by shares (Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien, KGaA) which combines elements of a German stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) and elements of a German limited partnership (Kommanditgesellschaft). Shares in Springer Nature are held by entities controlled by the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group and funds advised by BC Partners.

The management of the KGaA is undertaken by a “general partner” (or “GP”) (persönlich haftenden Gesellschafterin). For Springer Nature the GP is a German stock corporation held by entities controlled by the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group and funds advised by BC Partners. The GP is managed by the Management Board (Vorstand), which thereby indirectly manages the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA and implements the delivery of the company strategy. Read about the members of our Management Board and wider Executive Team.

Our Boards

Boards © Shutterstock / UfaBizPhoto There is a Supervisory Board of both the KGaA and the GP. The Supervisory Board of the KGaA is formed by representatives of Holtzbrinck Publishing Group (HPG) and BCP as well as three independent member. You can find more information about the Supervisory Board here. The current members of the Supervisory Board of the GP are representatives of HPG and BCP.

The Supervisory Board of the GP supervises the Management Board of the GP, while the Supervisory Board of the KGaA supervises the GP in its management of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA. With their wide range of skills and years of experience, members of both the Supervisory Board and the Management Board are ideally placed to promote the long term success of the company.

Committees of the boards

The Committees of both Supervisory Boards oversee our business activities and advise in the specific areas of Audit, Executive Nominations, and Remuneration.

Committees of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee (Prüfungsausschuss) is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the accounting process, the internal control system, the risk management system and the internal audit system. It also deals with the audit of the financial statements and the arrangements with the company’s auditor. The Audit Committee is also responsible for overseeing the company’s compliance system. The Audit Committee consists of the following members of the Supervisory Board:

Ms Birgit Haderer (Chair)
Dr Ewald Walgenbach
Mr Jens Schwanewedel

Nomination and Executive Committee

The Nomination and Executive Committee (Präsidial-und Nominierungsausschuss) is responsible for preparatory measures regarding the proposal of members for appointment to the Supervisory Board by the General Meeting (Hauptversammlung) of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, and certain other matters where Supervisory Board approval is required pursuant to the Articles of Association of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA. The Executive and Nomination Committee consists of the following members of the Supervisory Board:

Dr Stefan von Holtzbrinck (Chair)
Dr Ewald Walgenbach (Deputy Chair)
Dr Stefan Oschmann

Committee of Springer Nature Management AG

Remuneration Committee

The Remuneration Committee (Vergütungsausschuss) is responsible for preparatory measures regarding matters to be resolved by the

Supervisory Board relating to the remuneration and employment terms of the Management Board members and certain other senior positions. The Remuneration Committee also considers the amendment or termination of service agreements of the Management Board members and terms relating to remuneration guidelines, incentive programmes, strategy and framework. The Remuneration Committee consists of the following members of the Supervisory Board:

Dr Stefan von Holtzbrinck (Chair)
Dr Ewald Walgenbach (Deputy Chair)
Dr Stefan Oschmann