After undergraduate and doctoral work in business management, Dr. Cordes went to work for the then Daimler-Benz AG (today’s Daimler AG). There he was appointed to various management positions as well as taking on strategy work in both Germany and abroad. From 1996 to 2005 he was responsible for many different areas on the board of Daimler-Benz AG/DaimlerChrysler AG, including Director of the Commercial Vehicles Division and the Mercedes Car Group. From 2006 to 2009 he was Chairman of the Management Board of Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH. In addition from February 2006 to October 2007 he was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of METRO AG. From 2007 until 2011 he was Chairman of the Board of METRO AG; and from 2010 on he was also Human Resources Director of METRO AG. On December 1 2010 he was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations.