The Cooperative
Here you can find out more about the legal form of the cooperative and its bodies - the General Assembly, the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board - and how this is implemented at Smart
The Executive Board
The Executive Board
The Executive Board of the Smart Cooperative consists of 2 representatives.
The Executive Board is authorized to represent the cooperative individually and manages the cooperative's business.
The Executive Board is elected by the Supervisory Board.
Since 2016, the Executive Board has consisted of Magdalena Ziomek and Alicja Möltner.
The Supervisory Board
What does the supervisory board of a cooperative do, what are its functions and who are the people behind it?
Members of the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board of the Smart Cooperative (SMartDe eG) has 5 seats and is composed as follows:
- Joel Dullroy, journalist, employee of Smart and one of Smart's first cooperative members in Germany
- Norbert Kunz, founder and managing director of Social Impact GmbH
- Sebastian Paule, Director of Development & Finance SmartBe (for SMartBe Foundation)
- Marie Reiter (Chairwoman since 12/2023 until the new election in June 2024), Team Leader Member Consulting and Managing Director of Smart Bildungswerk
- Prof. Dr. Dominika Wruk, Junior Professor for Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the University of Mannheim and Head of platforms2share
The term of office is 3 years and runs until June 2024.
The Supervisory Board appoints and controls the Management Board. All members of the Smart Cooperative can run for the office of Supervisory Board member. This is an honorary office.
Rights and Duties of the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board of SMartDe eG has 5 seats.
Ideally, these should be filled as follows:
- 1 representative of the SmartBe Fondation (mandatory seat according to the Statue of SmartDe eG)
- 1 representative of the active members
- 1 representative from science / research
- 1 representative from the Smart Team
- 1 representative from business / social economy
The activities of the Supervisory Board can only be carried out by members of the cooperative. It is an honorary position.
The term of office is 3 years (current term: 06/2021 - 06/2024)
A new election or re-election takes place during the annual General Assembly.
The task of the Supervisory Board is to appoint, monitor and advise the Executive Board. The Executive Board informs the Supervisory Board about business activities on a quarterly basis. Approximately 1-2 meetings are held annually with the Executive Board to discuss and decide on the business plans.
The Supervisory Board can elect a Chairman / Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board.
Further information can be found in the Statute of the cooperative.
The Central Association of German Consumer Cooperatives has produced a brochure on the rights and duties of the Supervisory Board which can be found here.
The General Assembly
The General Assembly - rights and obligations
- Approval of the annual financial statements, the distribution of profits and losses: if the cooperative makes a profit,
- the Annual General Assembly decides how they are to be used - areas in which the profits are to be invested, such as the development of services for members (profits are not distributed to members), are then proposed for a vote;
- the discharge of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board
- the election of the Supervisory Board: the Supervisory Board has a supervisory function and advises the Executive Board and the management