Management Board and Supervisory Board

"Festo should remain an independent family-owned company. That is why profitable growth and the ability to finance our investments from our cash flow are at the very top of the finance department’s agenda."

Born on 8 June 1969 in Karlsruhe, Germany

Training and education

• Studied mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe (Technical University)
• Major subject: production engineering
• Final qualification: graduate engineer

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2016Member of the Management Board Finance

2013–2016 Senior Vice President, Corporate Development

2013–2016 Senior Vice President, Business Unit Electric Automation

2009–2013 Head of Corporate Customer Solutions

2007–2009 Head of Strategic Planning and Controlling

1998–2007 Management consulting

1995–1998 Daimler-Benz AG

Memberships/committee work

• Member of the Advisory Board of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart
• Member of the Advisory Board of the LBBW/BW Bank (LandesBank Baden-Württemberg)
• Member of the Management Board of the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association)

"Festo is an outstanding family-owned company. Our task is to secure the company’s success – in an increasingly competitive environment – and take it into the future."

Born on 26 January 1962 in Berlin, Germany

Training and education

• Studied mechanical engineering at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences
• Major subject: production engineering
• Final qualification: honorary doctorate, graduate engineer

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2018 Chairman of the Management Board, Corporate Management and Strategy

2010–2018 Member of the Management Board/Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Schaeffler AG in Herzogenaurach, responsible for production, purchasing and logistics, BCT (bearings and components technology)

2009–2010 Member of the management team for the industry division at Schaeffler AG

2008–2009 Worldwide Division Manager for tapered roller bearings at Schaeffler AG

2003–2007 Member of the Management Board Production and Quality Management at Schmitz Cargobull AG in Altenberge/Münsterland

2001–2003 Division Manager, flatbed vehicle production line at Schmitz Cargobull AG in Altenberge/Münsterland

1999–2001 Production Manager at Schmitz Cargobull AG in Altenberge/Münsterland, Vreden plant

1995–1999 Plant Manager at Robert Bosch GmbH in Wuppertal and at foreign plants in the Czech Republic

1993–1995 Section Head at Robert Bosch GmbH at the plant in Bühl/Baden

1991–1993 Production engineer at Robert Bosch GmbH at the plant in Bühl/Baden

1989–1991 Production planner and trainee at Robert Bosch GmbH as part of the Bosch corporate programme

Memberships/committee work

• Since 2015 Member of the Diesel Board of Trustees (deutsches Institut für Erfindungswesen/German Institute of Inventions), Munich
• Since 2017 Member of the Supervisory Board at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Heidelberg
• Since 2018 Member of the Supervisory Board at Leistritz AG, Nuremberg

"We make our customers more productive."

Born on 2 July 1963 in Rheinhausen, Germany

Training and education

• Studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen (Technical University)
• Major subject: automation technology, plastics engineering and fibre-reinforced polymers, hydraulics and pneumatics, control technology and system theory
• Final qualification: PhD in economic evaluation of designs

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2013 Member of the Management Board Sales

2009–2013 Member of the Management Board Region and Sales Europe

2003–2009 Manager for Product Centre Valves

2001–2002 General Manager of the subsidiary Beck GmbH

2000–2003 Head of the Product Segment Control

1998–2000 Head of Product Management Innovation

1995–1998 Market Segment Manager for Factory Automation

1991–1995 Assistant at Institut für Management und Technologie IMT Berlin GmbH (Institute of Management and Technology)

1989–1995 Research associate in assembly technology at the Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik (Institute for Machine Tools and Production Technology) at the Technical University of Berlin

Memberships/committee work

• Member of the Management Board at the Fluid Power Association of the VDMA

"Festo has always stood out in the market as an innovative company with excellent products and cutting-edge technology. In an ever-accelerating world, software, electronics and new materials are the new drivers of innovation that make many new product and service ideas possible. My objective is to excite customers with our agility and innovative strength and to open up new growth markets for Festo."

Born on 15 August 1963 in Göppingen, Germany

Training and education

• Studied mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Brunel University London, UK, and the University of Arizona, USA
• MBA, University of Toronto, Canada
• Final qualification: PhD in dynamic flexible multibody systems

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2017 Member of the Management Board Product and Technology Management

2015–2017 President of Electronics, Autoliv Inc., Munich and Stockholm

2012–2015Senior Vice President of Driver Assistance, Robert Bosch GmbH, Leonberg

2004–2012 CEO, Bosch Sensortec GmbH, Reutlingen

2003–2004 Restructuring consultant, Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart

2001–2003 Head of Filter Product Division, Robert Bosch Spain, Alcalá de Henares

1999–2001 Deputy Director, Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart

1996–1999 Head of Advance Development, Electric Drives division, Robert Bosch GmbH, Bühl

1994–1996 Trainee, Electric Drives division, Robert Bosch GmbH, Bühl

Memberships/committee work

• Member of the Management Board of ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association)
• Head of the Industry 4.0 platform steering committee

"Our employees are a deciding factor for the success of Festo. That is why it is important, now and going forward, that we involve and train our employees, especially given the continual changes brought about by digitalisation and globalisation. At the same time, we need to impress skilled staff and inspire long-term loyalty to our company."

Born on 12 January 1968 in Metzingen, Germany

Training and education

• Studied mechanical and industrial engineering at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland
• Final qualifications: graduate engineer/industrial engineer

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2019 Member of the Management Board Human Resources

2016–2019General Manager of Festo Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG (Festo Sales)

2013–2016 Senior Vice President, Business Unit Customer Solutions

2012–2013 Chief Strategy Officer (Shanghai, China)

2010–2013 Head of Corporate Market Management

2007–2010 Head of Marketing Promotion

2004–2007 Head of Sales Coordination Americas

2002–2004 Manager of Strategic Products

1998–2001 Head of Industry Segment Food & Packaging

1996–1998 System planning (product management)

1993–1996 Consultant, Syst AG

Memberships/committee work

• Member of the Advisory Board of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
• Member of the Board of the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) Integrated Assembly Solutions group

Born on 12 February 1974 in Trencin, Slovakia

Training and education

• Studied industrial engineering at the University of Žilina
  Major subject: industrial engineering
• Final qualification: PhD

• Studied industrial engineering at the Slovak University of Technology in Trnava
• Major subject: industrial engineering
• Final qualification: graduate engineer

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2020 Member of the Management Board Operations

2018–2020 Head of the Global Supply Chain Management Initiative at Schaeffler AG

2016–2020 CEO of the Subregion Central and Eastern Europe at Schaeffler AG

2014–2020 COO of the Region Europe and Subregion India at Schaeffler AG

2009–2014 Plant Manager and Managing Director at Schaeffler Kysuce spol. s.r.o.

2008–2014 Plant Manager and Managing Director at Schaeffler Skalica spol. s.r.o.

2005–2007 Plant Manager at FAG Wuppertal

2003–2005 Segment Manager at FAG Wuppertal

1999–2003 Segment Manager at Schaeffler Skalika spol. s.r.o.

1996–1999 Production planning and scheduling at Schaeffler Skalica spol. s.r.o.

Dr Friedrich Eichiner
Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dipl.-Kfm. Curt Michael Stoll
Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dr Ulrich Stoll
Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Ulrich Dietz

Dr Markus Flik

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Klaus Helmrich

Prof. Dr Hanns-Peter Knaebel

Dipl.-Kfm. Martin Stoll

Dipl.-Kff. Christina Zügel-Stoll

„Festo Didactic is a world-leading solution provider for technical education and technical training with a strong industrial DNA. Our goal is to help employees in technical professions to keep their skills up-to-date and increase their employability. Jointly with Festo Automation, we support Festo customers to master technology innovation and drive their productivity.”

Born on April 22, 1968, in Albstadt, Germany

Training and Education

• Studied art history and philosophy at the University of Tübingen and in Chapel Hill, NC (USA)
• Doctorate in philosophy, at the intersection between philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, metaphysics and formal semantics

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2018: Member of the Management Board, Festo Didactic, responsible for strategy, product- and service-development as well as production, training and human resources

2005-2018 Corporate strategy, innovation management and product management (i.e. for SAP BW & MDM, Digital Supply Chain and IoT) at SAP SE, Walldorf (Germany)

1998-2005 Presales, product management and sales operations at SAS Institute, Heidelberg (Germany)

Memberships/Committees

• Lead Expert Future of Work of the German-American and German-Chinese working of the Platform Industrie 4.0
• Member of the Advanced Manufacturing working groups at the World Economic Forum
• Member of the Supervisory Board of EIT Manufacturing
• Member of the board of trustees of the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy

"For me, education and training are one of the raison d'être of our company. Education and teaching help Liberty, Equality and Fraternity to grow (DNA for a French person!), through access to knowledge, know-how, interpersonal and life skills, through the understanding of secularism and through openness to the world."

Born on March 28, 1962 in Saint-Maur les Fossés (France)

Training and education

• Engineering degree in Automation at UTBM
• MBA/ICG Marketing and Sales
• MBA/IHFI Finances

Professional career

Since 01/2021 Member of the management board at Festo Didactic

2000-2021 GM of Festo France, then of Cluster FRA

1995-1999 Sales Manager of Festo France (Automation and Didactic)

Memberships/Committees

• Chairman of the Board of Directors of the POLYTECH engineering school in Lille (France)
• Member of the Board of Directors of the ESIEE Paris engineering school
• Elected member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Ile-de-France region
• Leader of France INDUSTRIE for the Ile-de-France region
• Ambassador of the Alliance Industrie du Futur (I4.0 French version) for the Ile de France Region
• Member of the board of the Société d'Encouragement de l'Industrie Française (created in 1801 by Napoleon 1st) - Aims to promote industry in France and abroad. Numerous actions with African countries

Prof. Dr oec. publ. Herbert Henzler
Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Prof. Dr-Ing. Eberhard Abele

Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Borho

Dipl.-Ing. Dr h.c. Oliver D. Jung