Jenoptik AG CEO Dr. Michael Mertin will join the German government’s commission on corporate governance, effective Sept. 30, the optoelectronics maker said this week. The German Corporate Governance Code Commission reviews standards for responsible corporate management and supervision.

Established by the Federal Ministry of Justice, the commission first published its German Corporate Governance Code in 2002. The code contains internationally and nationally recognized standards for responsible business management; the commission reviews the code every year to determine to what extent the rules for corporate management and supervision must be adapted.

Mertin has been CEO of Jenoptik since 2007 and is an active member of various economic organizations and technology associations. In June, he was elected vice president of the economic council to the Christian Democratic Union, and he has served as president of the European technology platform Photonics21 since November 2012. He also is chairman of the board of trustees at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) in Jena and a board member of the high-tech association Spectaris.

“The basic principles of responsible and value-oriented corporate management are essential to build a foundation for the long-term sustainable success of the company,” Mertin said. “Good corporate governance helps strengthen the trust of shareholders, customers, employees, and the greater public in a company and also makes it possible to manage risks appropriately.”

Other new commission members include Joachim Faber, chairman of the supervisory board of Deutsche Börse AG, and Thomas Kremer, a member of the management board at Deutsche Telekom AG. Manfred Gentz, former chief financial officer of DaimlerChrysler AG and a board member of Deutsche Börse AG and Zurich Financial Services, will take over as chairman of the commission.

For more information, visit: www.jenoptik.com