"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."

Vocational training

• 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

2014–2019CTO 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 Representative, Supervisory Board of 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."

Education:

• Mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• Industrial engineering at the distance learning University of Hagen
• Degrees: Ph.D. in Engineering, Ph.d. in Engineering, Ph.d. in Economics and Engineering

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

"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.

Training and Education

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Czech University of Applied Sciences in Prague; Ph.D. from Chemnitz University of Applied Sciences

• Professorship at Shanghai University

• Degree: Ph.D. in Engineering

Professional career

Positions held to date within the Festo Group:

Since 05/2026 Executive Board Member for 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 APAC Executive Board, Yokohama, Japan

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

2010–2013 Senior Director of Electrical Axle 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 Mandates

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

Memberships/Committees

• Member of the Board of Directors of VDMA Fluid Technology

• Member of the ZVEI Executive 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 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. (FH) Frank Notz
Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dr. Jaroslav Patka