Atlanta‘s German chamber named Martin Richenhagen the new chairman of the board of directors at its annual meeting April 29-30 in Asheville, N.C.

The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S. Inc. selected him to replace Matthais Schoenberg, CEO of Continental Tires the Americas LLC, who will remain on the board of directors.

Mr. Richenhagen is the chairman, president and CEO of AGCO Corp., a Duluth-based agricultural equipment manufacturer with operations in 140 countries.

Raised in Cologne in western Germany, he was the first German CEO of a Fortune 500 company in the U.S., according to a news release.

Before joining AGCO, Mr. Richenhagen was executive vice president at Forbo International S.A., an adhesive and flooring systems manufacturer in Baar, Switzerland.

Four new members from Georgia-based companies were also elected to the board including, Rudi Herbst, president and CEO of Lawrenceville-based United Soft Plastics Inc., and Sylvia Minton, senior vice president of corporate, institutional and government affairs of MAGE Solar Projects Inc., a producer of photovoltaic modules in Dublin.

Michael Sauer, senior vice president of development at Atlanta-based real estate investment company BVT Equity Holdings Inc., and Sam Moses, an attorney at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, which has an office in Atlanta, were also elected to the board.

For more information on the chamber, visit www.gaccsouth.com.