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 technology
• Final qualification: qualified 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 the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences
• Major subject: production technology
• Final qualification: honorary doctorate, qualified 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 Manager of the division for tapered roller bearings worldwide 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 at

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 curatorship (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 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 Assistance at Institut für Management und Technologie IMT Berlin GmbH (Institute of Management and Technology)

1989-1995 Research Associate 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 in the Fluid Power Division 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 (United Kingdom) and the University of Arizona (United States)
• MBA, University of Toronto (Canada)
• Final qualification: PhD in dynamic flexible multi-body 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 Association for the Electrical Industry)
• 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: qualified 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 Board of Trustees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
• Member of the Management Board of the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) for the department of Integrated Assembly Solutions

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

Dr. Markus Flik

Prof. Dr. Hanns-Peter Knaebel

Dr. h.c. Lars Pettersson

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gunther Reinhart

Dipl.-Kfm. Martin Stoll

Dipl.-Kff. Christina Zügel-Stoll

"We believe that education is the key to the positive development of people, industry and society.

Education opens up long-term prospects and supports social participation and prosperity worldwide, thus making a decisive contribution to global stability and peace.

As the world market leader in technical education and development, we are actively involved in this process."

Born on 1 April 1974 in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany

Training and education

• Electrical and computer engineering (University of Applied Science Mittweida)
• Business administration (Clemson University)
• MBA in General Management, Finance, Technology and Innovation Management (Euro*MBA Consortium)

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2016 Member of the Management Board of Festo Didactic SE

Other career details

2014-2015 Director of Academy and Lifecare division, TÜV Rheinland (German Technical Inspection Association)

2011-2014 Director and founder, TÜV Rheinland, Bangladesh

2007-2014 CEO and Managing Director, TÜV Rheinland, India and South Asia (SAARC)

2005-2007 Vice Director/Deputy COO, TÜV Rheinland, Japan

2002-2007 CIO Group Asia and Global Business Stream Products, TÜV Rheinland

2000-2002 Manager, TÜV Rheinland

1999-2000 Project Manager, TÜV Rheinland

1998-1999 Management Trainee, TÜV Rheinland, Taiwan

Memberships/committee work

• Member of the Management Board of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (until 2014)
• Co-founder of the European Business Group India (until 2014)
• Member of the Project Management Institute
  

In his influential book 'The Fuzzy and the Techie', Scott Hartley describes how innovation often emerges from the interplay between technologies and the humanities. As the prototypical ‘fuzzy’, I've always marvelled at ‘techies’ for their expertise and the way they go about doing things. I've always tried to learn from them – in the ‘fuzzy’ way I was trained. For me, working in tech companies is a privilege, as I can always keep learning.

In what way am I ‘fuzzy’? I studied art history and philosophy near here in Tübingen and in Chapel Hill, NC, USA. I did my doctorate in philosophy, at the intersection between linguistics, semantics and the philosophy of the mind. Not long after, I began to discover the world of software companies, before joining Festo Didactic in October 2018.

Here are a few more details for those who are interested:

• 1998-2005: SAS Institut, Heidelberg, Germany
  Presales, product management, manager of Strategic Initiatives and Sales Operations
• 2005-2018: SAP SE, Walldorf, Germany
  Business strategy, product management for EIM, innovation management, IoT and supply chain strategy and research

In my personal life, I married the girl I met at school and we have a wonderful 13-year-old son. My hobbies include skiing, running and sailing.

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