This means that Alexander Wehrle will no longer have to fulfil two roles, with the CEO having also taken on responsibility for sport since becoming a member of the board on 21 March 2022. At the end of the 2022/23 season, Wehrle had already highlighted the need for him to relinquish the double role as being the next critical structural move for the club at management level.
Alongside Wehrle as CEO and future board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth, the VfB AG board comprises current members Dr Thomas Ignatzi (Chief Finance Officer & Chief Operations Officer) and Rouven Kasper (Chief Marketing & Sales Officer).
As new board member for sport, Wohlgemuth – who has been given a three-year contract – will be in charge of the professional squad, the youth academy and women’s football at VfB. In his position as board member for sport, he will also be part of the process in appointing a new director of sport in the near future.
Wohlgemuth joined VfB Stuttgart in December 2022 as director of sport and quickly stabilised the club on a sporting and financial level, in what was a highly challenging situation at the time. This included the appointment of Sebastian Hoeneß as head coach, important contract extensions for players and a reorientation of the squad after the successful relegation play-off the previous summer.
Wohlgemuth proved to be a real team player, remaining in close contact with Wehrle and the other members of the board, the supervisory board and the club’s executive committee at all times. Last season was one of the most successful in recent memory for VfB Stuttgart, who finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga and qualified for the UEFA Champions League and the German Supercup.
“I am very grateful to the supervisory board for following my initiative and for the fact that I can now relinquish my temporary double role,” said Alexander Wehrle, CEO of VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG. “I am convinced that Fabian Wohlgemuth will have every success in his position as board member for sport, and I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with him. Fabian grasped the nettle in what were very tough times, and the last few months have shown that he can plan not only for the here and now, but also for the medium and long term – and do it well.”
“I would like to thank the supervisory board, and chairperson Tanja Gönner, for the faith that they have shown in me in appointing me as board member for sport,” said Fabian Wohlgemuth, board member for sport of VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG. “I realised soon after joining VfB that the club had real power and energy. The close contact and mutual respect that I have enjoyed while working with Alexander Wehrle on both sporting and operational levels have played a major role in the very positive image that VfB Stuttgart currently enjoys.
“As board member for sport, I am excited to play my part in continuing the positive development of all VfB teams and steering the club towards a successful future. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on the board along with CEO Alexander Wehrle, who has been a calm presence at the helm of VfB in turbulent sporting times, and a constant beacon of optimism and confidence.”