Management Board and Supervisory Board

"I see the further development of our value-oriented family-owned company and the continuation of our ongoing success story shared by the entire Festo team as my top priority as Chairman of the Management Board."

Training and Education

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

Professional career

Positions held to date within 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 Executive Board, Harsewinkel, Germany

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

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

2006–2011 Head of Systems Technology, Harsewinkel, Germany

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

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

1999–2002 Project Manager Development Vehicle Systems Electronics/Electrics

1996–1999 Developer Vehicle Systems Electronics/Electrics

Memberships/Committees

Supervisory Board/Advisory Board Mandates

Since 2025 Shareholder representatives, 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, with a value-oriented and long-term approach – in generations, not business years."

Training and Education:

• Mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• Industrial engineering at the distance learning University of Hagen
• Degrees: Dr.-Ing., Dipl.-Ing., Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing.

Professional career:

Positions held to date within the Festo Group:

since 2023 Member of the Management Board 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

"We see great opportunities in digitalization to make our customers even more productive."

Training and Education

• Studied mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• Focus: Production engineering
• Degree earned: Diplom-Ingenieur (equivalent to Master of Science in engineering)

Professional career

Positions held to date within the Festo Group:

since 2022 Member of the Management Board Technology and Digitalization

2016–2023 Member 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 BCG (Boston Consulting)

1995–1998 Daimler-Benz AG

Memberships/Committees

• Member of the Advisory Board of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart
• Member of the LBBW/BW Bank advisory board
• Member of the Board of the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association)

"We make our customers more productive."

Training and Education

• Studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University
• Focus: Automation technology, plastics technology and fiber-reinforced polymers, hydraulics and pneumatics, control engineering, and system theory
• Degree earned: Doctorate in economic evaluation of designs

Professional career

Positions held to date within the Festo Group:

seit 2022 Member of the Management Board Research and Development

2013–2022 Member of the Management Board Sales

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

2003–2009 Product Center Manager Valves

2001–2002 Managing Director 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 Factory Automation

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

1989–1995 Research assistant at the Institute for Machine Tools and Production Technology at the Technical University of Berlin, Assembly Technology department

Memberships/Committees

• Deputy Chairman of the Management Board in the Fluid Power Association of the VDMA
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK
• Member of the Supervisory Board of HAWE Hydraulik SE, Munich

"With a broad automation portfolio, we make our customers in a wide range of industries more productive and therefore more successful! What is most important here is that we precisely understand their requirements and offer the right solution quickly."

Training and Education

• Studied mechanical and industrial engineering at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland
• Degrees: Diplom-Ingenieur (FH) (roughly equivalent to Master of Science in engineering), Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur (FH) (roughly equivalent to Master of Science in industrial engineering)

Professional career

Positions held to date within the Festo Group:

since 2022 Member of the Management Board Sales

2019–2022 Member of the Management Board Human Resources

2016–2019 Managing Director 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/Committees

• Member of the 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 (DHBW), Stuttgart
• Member of the General Assembly of the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Industry and Commerce

Training and Education

• Studied industrial engineering at the University of Žilina
  Focus: Industrial engineering
• Degree earned: PhD

• Studied industrial engineering at the Slovak Technical University in Trnava
• Focus: Industrial engineering
• Degree earned: Diplom-Ingenieur (equivalent to Master of Science in engineering)

Professional career

Positions held to date within 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 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

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

Training and Education

• SStudied Applied Computer Science at the Technical University of Dortmund
• Degree earned: Doctorate, testing complex systems

Professional career
Positions held to date within 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/Committees

• 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. Gerhard Borho
Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dr. Jaroslav Patka