KUKA Aktiengesellschaft / Change of Personnel
09.06.2008
Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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KUKA Aktiengesellschaft
Public Relations
Dr. Gert Butter
Head of Public Relations
Telephone +49 821 797 5335
Fax +49 821 797 5333
PR@kuka.com
www.kuka.com
Generational Change in Executive Board
Augsburg, June 9, 2008
In view of the upcoming generational change in the management of the Group,
the Supervisory Board of KUKA AG appointed, at today's meeting, Dr. Horst
J. Kayser as CEO and Labor Director of KUKA AG with effect from October 1,
2008. In addition, Dr. Matthias J. Rapp was appointed as a new member of
the Executive Board.
After more than 30 years of successfully working for KUKA, Mr. Gerhard
Wiedemann (61), CEO and Labor Director of the company, will not be
extending his contract beyond March 31, 2009 and will be retiring from
office with effect from September 30, 2008. He will advise the Executive
Board until March 31, 2009. As CEO, Gerhard Wiedemann made a major
contribution to the positive overall development of the Group, from the
completion of restructuring to the advent of profitable growth. He also had
a decisive effect on the Group's systems business for several decades.
Dr. Horst J. Kayser (47), Graduate in Industrial Engineering/Electrical
Engineering (Darmstadt Technical University) and Master of Public
Administration (MPA) (Harvard University, Cambridge/USA), started his
career as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company. In 1995, Dr.
Kayser moved to Siemens-Unternehmensberatung, becoming the director here in
1998. In 2001, Dr. Kayser was appointed head of the Industrial Automation
Systems division within Siemens Automation & Drives (A&D), Nuremberg
(worldwide profit and loss responsibility, turnover 1.5 billion). In
2004, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Ltd./South
Korea. From 2006 to 2008, Dr. Kayser worked as the Chief Strategy Officer
of Siemens AG in Munich. At the moment, Dr. Kayser is Chief Executive
Officer of Siemens/UK and the North-West Europe Regional Cluster.
The Supervisory Board also appointed Dipl.-Kfm. Dr. Matthias J. Rapp (41)
as the member of the Executive Board responsible for Finances and
Controlling, with effect from July 1, 2008. Dr. Rapp is currently
Commercial Director of KUKA Systems GmbH, the largest business division in
the KUKA Group. Dr. Matthias J. Rapp studied in the Scientific University
for Corporate Management in Koblenz. He started his career with the Boston
Consulting Group. In 1997, Dr. Rapp moved to the Lurgi Group, Frankfurt/M.
(Metallgesellschaft AG) and was CFO of the pharmaceutical company Merz GmbH& Co. KGaA until 2006.
Dr. Jürgen Koch (51), member of the Executive Board responsible for
Finances and Controlling, had announced already in December 2007 that he
would not be standing for a further period of office for personal reasons.
He will be stepping down from his position on June 30, 2008. Dr. Koch
played a major role in reducing the company's level of debt, in creating
solid accounting and financial structures within the Group and in the sale
of the Packaging Division.
In addition, Mr. Bernd Liepert (45), who is responsible for the Robotics
Division, is also a member of the Executive Board of KUKA
Aktiengesellschaft.
Dr. Rolf Bartke, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, emphasized: 'After a
period of restructuring and consolidation, the personnel decisions made
here will ensure the continuity as well as an additional impetus for the
successful strategy of profitable growth. The Supervisory Board would like
to thank those board members who are leaving the company for their
successful contributions.'
Contact:
KUKA Aktiengesellschaft
Dr. Gert Butter
Head of Public Relations
T +49 821 7975 335
F +49 821 7975 333
PR@kuka.com
www.kuka.com
DGAP 09.06.2008
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Language: English
Issuer: KUKA Aktiengesellschaft
Postfach 43 12 69
86072 Augsburg
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)821 797 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)821 7975 - 333
E-mail: IR@kuka.com
Internet: www.kuka.com
ISIN: DE0006204407
WKN: 620440
Indices: MDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard),
Hannover, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart; Foreign
Exchange(s) SWX
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DGAP-News: KUKA Aktiengesellschaft: Generational Change in Executive Board
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