Wenning, who will celebrate his 80th birthday on 21 October, first led the shareholder committee between 1999 and 2002. He's chaired the body without interruption since December 2010. Born in the Leverkusen district of Opladen, he's been closely connected to Bayer 04 since his youth and has accompanied the club's development over the decades. His terms as chairman have seen significant strategic and personnel decisions as well as the greatest sporting successes in the club's history: the Bundesliga title, DFB Pokal win and Supercup win in 2024.
Wenning is among the defining figures of the German economy. His career at Bayer began in 1966 with an apprenticeship as an industrial management assistant. He went on to become chief financial officer and led Bayer 04 as CEO from 2002 to 2010. From 2012 to 2020, he chaired the corporation's supervisory board.
Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer 04: "Werner Wenning has shaped Bayer 04 Leverkusen with experience, clarity and great expertise. He has demanded a great deal from us, while at the same time always supporting Simon Rolfes and me. Personally, I am particularly grateful to him for having the courage, back in 2018, to entrust me – a career changer from the business world – with the leadership of this club. I would like to thank him most sincerely for our open and close collaboration. We are pleased to be continuing on our path with Wolfgang Nickl."
“I have experienced Bayer 04 through very different times since my childhood and am grateful to have played a part in shaping the club’s development,” said Wenning. “The successes of 2024 were also unforgettable for me personally – above all because I know how many people in our city had been waiting for them for so long. I have always worked closely and in a spirit of trust with Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes. Our open and lively dialogue has meant a great deal to me, both professionally and personally. Wolfgang Nickl is taking over as an experienced leader. He is already very familiar with Bayer 04 and the work of the shareholder committee. I wish him and the club all the very best from the bottom of my heart.”
Nickl was part of the Bayer 04 board as CFO from 2018 until May 2026. The 57-year-old has many years of international leadership experience and previously worked as CFO of Dutch technology company ASML as well as American company Western Digital, among others.
Wolfgang Nickl: “Werner Wenning has supported Bayer 04 for many years with great dedication and personal passion. Bayer 04’s success will always be linked to his name. I would also like to thank him for involving me very closely in the work of the shareholder committee since the start of the year. I am taking on this new role with great energy and enthusiasm, but also with humility. Together with the other members of the committee, the management team and the entire club, I would like to help ensure that we at Bayer 04 can continue to celebrate success at all levels in the future. I am particularly looking forward to working closely with Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes in the future.”
The composition of the shareholder committee has also changed this year. Klaus Beck and Michael Schade resigned from the committee on 30 June. Beck had belonged to it since 2003 and was chairman himself until 2007, while former Bayer 04 managing director Schade was a member from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2018.
On 1 July, Jürgen Schrapp succeeded Beck having already taken over from him as chairman of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V. Furthermore, on 1 October, Dr Max Thümmel, group general counsel and chief compliance officer at Bayer AG, joined the committee in place of Thomas Laubert. Bernd-Peter Bier and Dr Michael Preuss, head of communications at Bayer AG, remain on the committee.
The new eSports season is just around the corner. The VBL Club Championship by WOW starts on Thursday 15 October (from 18:00 CEST). And, as every year, here’s an overview: What changes are there? What is staying the same?
Show more
Bayer 04 record-appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn invites you to another evening in the popular ‘Rudi lädt ein’ series: on Tuesday 10 November, in collaboration with Bayer AG, the focus will be on the Nazi period. The focus will be on football, Bayer 04 and the city of Leverkusen.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has secured a new network partner in Extreme Networks GmbH. The leading provider of AI-powered network automation has agreed a five-year partnership with the Bundesliga club, running until 30 June 2031. As part of this, the club’s existing Wi-Fi 5 infrastructure will be replaced by more than 400 Wi-Fi 7 access points, which are specifically designed to meet the requirements of a stadium with a high user density. The aim is to enhance the fan experience while optimising operational processes and security.
Show more
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
Show more
As in the previous away fixture in Rheinhessen, Bayer 04 and Mainz 05 were locked in a thrilling battle on Bundesliga matchday 5. And once again, the Werkself proved to have the greater stamina. The home side equalised the early two-goal lead secured by Robert Andrich (5’) and Patrik Schick (9’) before the half-time whistle, thanks to a brace from Anthony Caci (33’, 42’). Mainz 05 were unable to respond to the two goals from Jarell Quansah (55’) and Moussa Diaby (65’) until late on. Apart from Phillip Tietz’s late consolation goal (90+2’), the Black and Reds barely allowed Mainz any attacking opportunities and were able to clinch the first away win of the season.
Show more
