- Changes in Group’s leadership team
- Generational change and internationalization support transformation
thyssenkrupp is continuing its Strategic Way Forward by reorganizing the management structure of its Steel Europe and Industrial Solutions business areas. The organizational changes will put customers and markets more firmly at the center, also reflecting thyssenkrupp’s new brand promise.
In addition, numerous changes of personnel in the company’s leadership team will support thyssenkrupp’s transformation process. A gradual transition to a younger generation is being ushered in at several operating units. At the same time the Group’s regional organization is being internationalized further.
Reorganization at Industrial Solutions
Jens Michael Wegmann (50), CEO of the Industrial Solutions business area, is currently reorganizing the Group’s plant engineering operations as part of the transformation program “planets”. The aim is to secure growth, enhance performance, focus more strongly on customers, markets and high-margin service business, and drive culture change within the business area. A central element of this is the further development of the organizational structure towards a management structure focused on customers and business fields and integrating the Marine Systems and System Engineering units more closely. The new position of Chief Operating Officer will be created on the board of the Industrial Solutions business area to meet these extended management tasks.
In addition, Johan P. Cnossen (56) from the Netherlands will join the leadership team of Industrial Solutions and manage the transformation office for the implementation of “planets”. In this newly created function he will report directly to CEO Wegmann. Cnossen, who studied business management and engineering, was previously CEO of KHD Humboldt Wedag International AG. Prior to that he held management positions at various international plant engineering companies such as Jacobs, AkerKvaerner and Ruhrgas Industries.
New management board at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems
Tilo Quink (45), currently Regional CEO in China, will join the management board of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems on August 1, 2016. Torsten Könker (52), currently responsible on the board for compliance, project strategy and quality management, is resigning his position on September 30, 2016 to take up another responsible function elsewhere in the Group. Dr. Walter Klausmann (64), CHRO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, will enter retirement on September 30, 2016. He will be succeeded by Dr. Sabine Maaßen (50), who will join the board on September 1, 2016. A doctor of law, Ms. Maaßen has been chief counsel for the IG Metall trade union for the past few years; from October 1 she will assume responsibility for human resources as CHRO of Marine Systems. thyssenkrupp thanks Torsten Könker and Dr. Walter Klausmann for their work over the past few years and wishes Tilo Quink and Dr. Sabine Maaßen every success.
Generational change: New CEO for System Engineering
Ingo Steinkrüger (43) will be appointed new CEO of thyssenkrupp System Engineering effective July 1. He will succeed Bernd Becker (61), who is entering retirement at his own request. System Engineering is a systems partner for all key elements of the car body and powertrain process chains in the automotive industry. With 4,000 employees the company generated sales of around €900 million in fiscal year 2014/2015. thyssenkrupp thanks Bernd Becker for his extremely successful work over the past years and wishes Ingo Steinkrüger every success in his new position.
New management structure at Steel Europe and Steel Americas
The Steel Europe and Steel Americas business areas are also being restructured. In the fall, a management structure in line with those already in place in the Group’s other business areas will be introduced as part of the “one steel” strategy program. The aim of “one steel” is to put customers more firmly at the center and further improve performance. To further enhance the competitiveness and technological expertise of the steel operations, in the future the production areas will be divided into downstream (rolling and coating, research and development) and upstream activities (pig iron, raw steel).
In the future CEO Andreas Goss (52) will additionally be responsible for markets and sales. From October 1, 2016 board member Dr. Heribert Fischer (54) will assume responsibility for rolling and coating operations and research and development at Steel Europe and Steel Americas. Dr. Herbert Eichelkraut (60), whose contract runs until the end of the year, will take on responsibility for pig iron and raw steel production at Steel Europe and Steel Americas. He will be succeeded on January 1, 2017 by Arnd Köfler (49), currently head of rolling and coating at the Beeckerwerth plant. Dr. Eichelkraut will remain available to the company in an advisory capacity.
Contract extensions for business area board members
The contracts of business area board members Carsten Evers (52) and Ercan Keles (45), CFOs of the Components Technology and Elevator Technology business areas respectively, have each been extended until March 31, 2022. The contract of Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien (61), member of the Industrial Solutions business area board, has also been extended, until June 30, 2018.
New CEOs for the growth regions China and India
Dr. Yan Gao (52) will become CEO of thyssenkrupp’s regional headquarters in China on August 1, 2016. Tilo Quink (45), who has established and successfully headed this office since April 2013, is returning to Germany to join the management board of Marine Systems. Dr. Yan Gao was previously VP & Country President of Alstom SA and President of Alstom (China) Investment Ltd.
The further internationalization of thyssenkrupp’s top management will also see a change at the regional headquarters in India. Ravi Kirpalani (57) will become regional CEO on July 1, succeeding Dr. Michael Thiemann (69), who is retiring after more than 35 years in management. Kirpalani, an Indian national, was most recently managing director at Castrol in India, prior to which he held management functions at the BP group in India and the UK. thyssenkrupp thanks Dr. Michael Thiemann for his excellent work over the decades and wishes Ravi Kirpalani and Dr. Yan Gao every success.
In the 2014/2015 fiscal year thyssenkrupp generated sales of 2.7 billion euros in China (where it employs some 17,000 people) and around 560 million euros in India (almost 6,000 employees).
New CEO for the aerospace business
Effective June 1, 2016, Laura A. Holmes (45) will take over as CEO of the Aerospace operating unit in the Materials Services business area. Most recently she was managing director of Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. She succeeds Jürgen Funke (54), who is returning to the USA to manage special projects. Jürgen Funke has been CEO of the Aerospace operating unit for five years. thyssenkrupp thanks Jürgen Funke for his successful work and wishes Laura A. Holmes every success in her new role.
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