'I see the evolution of our value-orientated and family-owned company as well as the continuation of our success story together with the entire Festo team as my top priority as Chairman of the Management Board.'

Education

• Studied Electrical Engineering at the Kempten University of Applied Sciences in Germany
• Degree: Dipl.-Ing. (FH)

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2024 Chairman of the Management Board

2006–2023 CLAAS KGaA mbH, Harsewinkel, Germany:

2019–2023 CEO and Chairman of the Group Management Board, Harsewinkel, Germany

2014–2019 CTO and Member of the Group Management Board, Harsewinkel, Germany

2011– 2014 Managing Director, Technology, Bad Saulgau, Germany

2006–2011 Division Manager Systems Engineering, Harsewinkel, Germany

2002–2006 Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, Laupheim, Germany, Head of Development Electronics/Hydraulics, Laupheim, Germany

1996–2002 AGCO Corporation (formerly Fendt), Marktoberdorf, Germany:

1999–2002 Project Manager, Development Electronic/Electric Vehicle Systems

1996–1999 Developer, Electronic/Electric Vehicle Systems

Memberships and committee work

Supervisory Board/Advisory Board appointments

Since 2025 Shareholder representative, Supervisory Board, Körber AG

Since 2017 Advisory Board, Accenture Germany

'As a third-generation family-owned company, we are financially independent and socially committed. We therefore think and act sustainably and in line with our values for the long term – in generations, not financial years.'

Education:

• Mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe (Technical University)
• Industrial engineering at the Distance-Learning University of Hagen
• Degrees: Dr.-Ing. (Ph.D. Engineering) Dipl.-Ing. (Graduate Engineer) Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. (Economics and Engineering)

Professional career:

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2023 Management Board for Finance and Human Resources

2021–2023 Managing Director Business Region Greater China

2019–2021 CFO Business Region Greater China, Senior Vice President

2016–2019 Global Controlling, Senior Vice President

2014–2016 Head of Sales Controlling and International Finance

2012–2014 Head of Corporate Planning and Systems

2010–2012 Project Manager Strategic Planning

2005–2010 McKinsey & Company, Management Consultant

'With our broad automation portfolio, we make our customers in a wide range of industries more productive and thus more successful! And, most importantly, we precisely understand their requirements and we can quickly offer the right solution.'

Education

• Studied mechanical and industrial engineering at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland
• Degrees: Graduate Engineer/Industrial Engineer

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2022 Member of the Management Board Sales

2019–2022 Member of the Management Board Human Resources

2016–2019 Managing Director of Festo Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG

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 Strategic Products

1998–2001 Head of Industry Segment Food & Packaging

1996–1998 System Planning (Product Management)

1993–1996 Syst AG, Consultant

Memberships and committee work

• Member of the Management Board of the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association)
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
• Member of the Board of Trustees of Stiftung Duale Hochschule BW (Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, DHBW), Stuttgart
• Member of the General Assembly IHK Region Stuttgart

Education

• Studied industrial engineering at the University of Žilina
  Major subject: Industrial engineering
• Degree: PhD

• Studied industrial engineering at the Slovak University of Technology in Trnava
• Major subject: Industrial engineering
• Degree: 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 Sub-region Central and Eastern Europe at Schaeffler AG

2014–2020 COO Region Europe and Sub-region 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 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.

Education

• Studied Mechanical Engineering at the Czech University of Technology, Prague; PhD Chemnitz University of Technology

• Professorship, Shanghai University

• Degree: Prof. Dr.-Ing.

Professional career

Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 05/2026 Management Board Research and Development

2023–05/2026 CTO of ebm-papst and Member of the Executive Board, Mulfingen, Germany

2001–2023 Schaeffler:

2022–2023 Senior Vice President of Innovation, Herzogenaurach, Germany

2019–2022 CTO of the Industry Division and Member of the Industry Executive Board, Shanghai, China

2016–2019 CTO APAC and Member of the Executive Board at APAC, Yokohama, Japan

2013–2016 Vice President of Chassis Systems, Herzogenaurach, Germany

2010–2013 Senior Director of Electric Axis Systems, eMobility Division, Herzogenaurach, Germany

2006–2010 Director of Advanced Development for Transmission Applications, Herzogenaurach, Germany

2001–2006 Simulation Engineer, Herzogenaurach, Germany

Supervisory Board/Advisory Board appointments

Since 2023 Advisory Board and Supervisory Board of DEHN SE, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany

Memberships and committee work

• Member of the Board of the VDMA Fluid Technology Association

• Member of the ZVEI Management Board

• Lecturer at the St. Gallen Management Institute

Dr. Friedrich Eichiner
Chairman of the Supervisory Board

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

Dr. Ulrich Stoll
Vice 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

"As the world's leading solution provider in technical basic and further training, Festo Didactic ensures the employability and productivity of its customers. The learning environments for education and industry unlock the optimal learning potential of learners by combining online learning content and physical learning systems. As an integral part of the Festo Group, the interplay between automation and education is exceptional."

Education

• Studied Applied Computer Science at the Technical University of Dortmund
• PhD: Testing complex systems

Professional career
Positions held so far at the Festo Group:

Since 2022 Chairman of the Management Board at Festo Didactic SE

Since 2021 Head of the Digital Business Unit

2017-2020 Vice President Professional Services North EMEA, SAS Institute GmbH

2010-2016 Senior Director Professional Services DACH, SAS Institute GmbH

2009-2010 Vice President, Attensity Europe GmbH (formerly Empolis GmbH)

2006-2009 Director Business Development, Empolis GmbH, part of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

2004-2005 Project Manager, Empolis GmbH, part of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

2001-2003 Research Assistant Technical University of Dortmund

1999-2001 Consultant and Project Manager, METAFrame Technologies GmbH

Memberships and committee work

• Management Board Member at Digital Industries World e.V.
• Member of the IHK Esslingen-Nürtingen District Assembly
• Member of the Baden-Württemberg Stifterverband Board of Trustees

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Thomas Böck
Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Frank Notz
Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dr. Jaroslav Patka