Mr. Jürgen Grässlin, Freiburg
Regarding Item 4 of the Agenda: »The actions of the members of the Supervisory Board are not to be ratified. Reason: In the view of the DaimlerChrysler Critical Shareholders (KADC, Arndtstraße 31, 70197 Stuttgart, Tel. +49 (0)711 608396; www.kritischeaktionaere.de and www.juergengraesslin.com), DaimlerChrysler AG made its so-called »ad-hoc announcement« on the early departure of Board of Management Chairman Jürgen E. Schrempp far too late. This grave mistake is apparently the prime responsibility of Supervisory Board Chairman Hilmar Kopper, who was informed of Schrempp's intention to resign at an early stage and long before all of the other members of the Supervisory Board. After Mr. Schrempp made his decision contrary to his previous statements not to fulfill his contract that was valid until the year 2008 (!), after the Annual Meeting on April 6, 2005 he consulted with his wife and secretary Lydia Schrempp, the Supervisory Board Chairman Hilmar Kopper and Hartmut Schick, Head of DC Public Relations. Already in the middle of May 2005, that is, more than two months (!) before the public announcement, Mr. Schrempp discussed his considerations with Supervisory Board Chairman Hilmar Kopper. On June 1, 2005, Schrempp confronted the two Supervisory Board members Lynton R. Wilson and Robert J. Lanigan with his intention to resign. Two weeks later, Mr. Schrempp informed his successor Dieter Zetsche. The German Financial Services Supervisory Authority (BaFin) comes to the conclusion that at the latest since July 10, 2005 (see manager magazin of April 2006), insider information existed pursuant to Section 13 of the German Securities Trading Act. Based on the above chronology, I have to assume that the so-called »ad-hoc announcement« should have been made earlier. On July 16, 2005, I was notified by an informant about Schrempp's probable upcoming resignation. But Mr. Kopper still did not order the necessary »ad-hoc announcement« to be made informing the shareholders, employees and public. In the following days, Mr. Schrempp informed Mr. Erich Klemm, the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Chairman of the Group Labor Council, about his intention not to fulfill his contract; other senior officers were also informed. Apparently on July 27, 2005 - eleven days (!) after I found out about the upcoming announcement of Schrempp's resignation - Eckhard Cordes, at that time CEO of the Mercedes Car Group and the declared heir to the throne, was informed by Mr. Schrempp of the planned personnel matters. This fact alone demonstrates the disastrous style of behavior in the top management of DaimlerChrysler AG. On July 28, 2005, twelve (!) days after I found out about the upcoming announcement of Schrempp's resignation - at 10:32 a.m. DC made the so-called »ad-hoc announcement« on Schrempp's resignation effective December 31, 2005. Even on that day, news agencies had reported on resignation rumors before the announcement. The fact that the Supervisory Board did not even thank Mr. Schrempp for his ten years as Board of Management Chairman is quite comprehensible in view of his disastrous policy of destroying jobs and capital. But the consequences of the strategy and communication disaster connected with Schrempp's early resignation are devastating: Eckhard Cordes promptly left the company. Shareholders are now initiating legal proceedings to claim damages, in cases that are likely to set a precedent, for the fact that they sold their shares too early and therefore under their value. In all likelihood they will win their cases - and in my view this is justified. The result will be not only pecuniary damage but also further damage to the image of DaimlerChrysler AG. For these reasons, the Critical Shareholders demand: RED CARD, MR. KOPPER! Resign immediately!«