Angela Titzrath
| Angela Titzrath | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 April 1966 Essen, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Education | Ruhr University Bochum (economics and Romance philology) |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Employer | Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) |
| Title | Chairwoman of the management board (2017 to 2025) |
| Known for | Chairwoman of HHLA; president of the Central Association of German Sea Port Operators |
Angela Titzrath (born 30 April 1966 in Essen) is a German business executive. From 1 January 2017 to 30 September 2025 she was chairwoman of the management board of the European logistics company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), based in Hamburg.
Before joining HHLA, Titzrath spent more than two decades in senior management roles at Daimler and later at Deutsche Post, gaining international experience in Canada and Spain along the way.
Early life and education
Titzrath was born on 30 April 1966 in Essen. She studied economics and Romance philology at the Ruhr University Bochum. She speaks five foreign languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
Career
Daimler, 1991 to 2012
From 1991 to 2012, Titzrath held a series of senior management positions within the Daimler group, including a seat on the management board for sales of its bus division. She gained international experience as managing director of Mercedes-Benz Credit of Canada and as a member of the North American management of Daimler-Benz AG InterServices and debis AG. From 2002 to 2005 she was commercial director of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vitoria, Spain.
Deutsche Post and supervisory board work
After leaving Daimler, Titzrath joined the management board of Deutsche Post (DHL). She subsequently worked as a supervisory board member for several companies and organisations before moving to HHLA in 2017.
Chairwoman of HHLA, 2017 to 2025
Titzrath became chairwoman of the management board of HHLA on 1 January 2017. During her tenure the company expanded its terminal network on the Baltic Sea and the Adriatic, acquiring the sea terminal in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2018 and the terminal in Trieste, Italy, in 2020. Under her leadership, the company's stake in its intermodal subsidiary METRANS was increased from 25 per cent to 100 per cent. In the five years preceding her departure, more than one billion euros were invested in the group's port logistics division, roughly half of it in the Port of Hamburg.
Titzrath's contract as chairwoman, originally due to expire on 30 September 2024, was extended by five years to 1 October 2029. In 2023 she faced public criticism over the declining importance of the Port of Hamburg. In June 2025 it was announced that she would step down from the role "by mutual best agreement," with her departure to take effect no later than 31 December 2025. Her tenure as chairwoman concluded on 30 September 2025.
Other roles
Since 2022, Titzrath has been president of the Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe (ZDS), the central association of German sea port operators. She has also served as deputy chairwoman of the board of the Industrieverband Hamburg and as deputy chair of the board of trustees of the Stiftung H2Global foundation.
Titzrath left the company on 30 September 2025 and was succeeded as chairwoman of the management board by Jeroen Eijsink, formerly of Deutsche Post DHL, on 1 October 2025 for an initial three-year term. She remained available to support the transition until the end of the year, which accounts for the two dates given in different accounts of her departure.
Assessment
Titzrath is credited with driving HHLA's international expansion during her time as chairwoman, particularly the acquisitions in Tallinn and Trieste and the move to full ownership of METRANS, alongside sustained investment in the Port of Hamburg. Her board's decision to extend her contract by five years reflected confidence in that record. She also received public recognition, including the "Logistics Leader of the Year 2019" award and the 2020 Mestemacher Prize for Manager of the Year, both citing her role in the port's digitalisation. At the same time, she faced criticism in 2023 over the declining significance of the Port of Hamburg, and she left the role in 2025, well before the extended contract's 2029 end date, with the announcement describing the departure as agreed by mutual consent.