New organizational structure

To strengthen the Group for the economic and strategic challenges of the coming years we adopted a new and more efficient organizational structure with effect from October 01, 2009. The Group's activities in materials and technologies are now organized in eight business areas: Steel Europe, Steel Americas, Stainless Global, Materials Services, Elevator Technology, Plant Technology, Components Technology and Marine Systems.

ThyssenKrupp AG as corporate headquarters performs a strategic management function, while the business areas and the Group companies belonging to them operate independently on the market. Compared with the previous organizational structure one management level has been eliminated. ThyssenKrupp Business Services and ThyssenKrupp IT Services offer standardized services that can be used by all Group companies, business areas and corporate headquarters.

The new Group structure increases the transparency of our reporting. As from the beginning of the 1st quarter 2009/2010 our reporting is based on the new business areas; the prior-year comparatives have been adjusted accordingly.