Reorganization at Heidelberg: Rainer Hundsdörfer Takes Over as New CEO

Rainer Hundsdörfer has been appointed to the position of CEO of Heidelberg.

The Supervisory Board of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has reorganized the company’s management board with the appointment of Rainer Hundsdörfer (59) as the new CEO and Dr. Ulrich Hermann (49) as a regular member. Hundsdörfer, an international industry expert, will replace Dr. Gerold Linzbach, who is leaving the company of his own accord, as already announced, on Nov. 14.

“We sincerely thank Gerold Linzbach for successfully turning around the company," Dr. Siegfried Jaschinski, chairman of the Heidelberg Supervisory Board, said. "Heidelberg is well on track. We are delighted to have gained an internationally experienced leadership personality in Rainer Hundsdörfer to drive forward the reorientation of the company. Mr. Hundsdörfer has acquired many years of specialist expertise with global technology leaders that will help pave the way forward to a successful digital future at Heidelberg."

Hundsdörfer has managed a number of leading industrial technology companies, most recently as chairman of the board of management of the world’s leading manufacturer of fans and motors, ebm-papst. Prior to this, he was chairman of the industry division and member of the executive board at Schaeffler. After graduating in business engineering, Hundsdörfer started work for Trumpf in Ditzingen and performed various managerial roles abroad. After this, he was appointed CEO of Weinig AG, a machines and systems manufacturer for timber processing based in Tauberbischofsheim in Baden-Württemberg.

"Heidelberg is moving toward customer-focused technology and services in what is a changed market environment," Hundsdörfer said. "We now need to make solid use of the opportunities digitization presents for profitable growth."

Dr. Ulrich Hermann joins the Management Board

With this focus on expanding digital business models at Heidelberg, Dr. Ulrich Hermann has been appointed a member of the management board, effective November 14. As a proven expert in digitization, he is qualified to steer the company’s ongoing digital transformation.

“Dr. Hermann has been successful in realigning conventional business models throughout his career," Jaschinski said. "Heidelberg will benefit from his experience in the future."

Hermann was most recently CEO of Wolters Kluwer Germany and regional managing director of Wolters Kluwer Central Europe. Prior to this, he was member of the management board of Süddeutscher Verlag Hüthig Fachinformation. After graduating in mechanical engineering, he gained his doctorate in business economics in St. Gallen in 1996. He launched his business career in 1997 with a number of managerial positions at Bertelsmann AG.

Current management board member Harald Weimer, responsible for Heidelberg Services, will be stepping down at his own request as of November 13, and will supervise the orderly transition in the period to March 31, 2017. The supervisory board would also like to thank Mr. Weimer sincerely for all his committed work on the management board.

Stephan Plenz’s management board contract has been extended, as scheduled, for an additional three years. Thus, the management board of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG comprises the following members effective Nov. 14, 2016: