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An entrepreneur from the Odenwald region succeeds Matthias Martiné – focusing on reducing bureaucracy and creating economic freedom
The general assembly of the Darmstadt Rhine Main Neckar Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) elected Christian Jöst as its new president on Tuesday evening (June 17). The managing director of Jöst Abrasives GmbH from Wald-Michelbach in the Bergstraße district succeeds Matthias Martiné , who is stepping down as planned after more than 16 years of service to the IHK.
Jöst has been a member of the executive board since 2019 and is now taking on the highest honorary position at the Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). In his inaugural address, the entrepreneur called for a realignment of economic policy and lamented the increasing density of regulations: "We need a free social market economy again – free from regulatory zeal and petty bureaucracy."
Commitment to entrepreneurial freedom
Jöst emphasized that bureaucracy and overregulation are increasingly hindering growth. Innovative achievements arise not from laws, but from a high-performing, creative small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. Looking to the future, the new president expressed confidence: "Through dialogue, we can reverse this trend – so that the appeal of Germany as a business location, especially in southern Hesse, grows again."
As an entrepreneur with strong regional roots, Christian Jöst is also involved in voluntary work : on the board of the Strahlemann Foundation , in the magazine "My Odenwald" , as owner of a small herd of alpacas – and as the only entrepreneur in the Sustainable Finance Advisory Board of the Federal Government .
Retrospective: Matthias Martiné's term in office
Christian Jöst takes over the office from Matthias Martiné , CEO of Volksbank Darmstadt Mainz, who as president of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for over six years . During this time, he dealt with far-reaching crises – from the Corona pandemic and energy shortages to the recession resulting from geopolitical developments.
Martiné significantly shaped the Chamber's strategic direction. The focus was on transformation, securing skilled workers, the future of city centers HUB31 startup center was strengthened, among other initiatives , and the Technical University of Darmstadt and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences have since become shareholders in this center.
a standing ovation to its long-serving president – and welcomed Christian Jöst as his successor, who wants to set clear impulses for the region's economy.
(Darmstadt - Red/IHK)
Featured image: Christian Jöst, President of the Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Photo: Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce / Dennis Möbus
