The Supervisory Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft has appointed Stefan Klebert (53) to the company’s Executive Board with effect from November 15, 2018. On February 18, 2019, he will succeed the long-serving CEO, Jürg Oleas (60), who is going to leave the company after completion of the fiscal year and after handing over the reins in February 2019. Previously, Stefan Klebert worked for the industrial group Schuler AG, where he was in charge of the company’s growth strategy in his capacity as CEO over the past eight years.He left the company upon expiry of his service contract in April 2018.
Dr. Helmut Perlet, Chairman of GEA’s Supervisory Board, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Stefan Klebert, a very successful manager with international experience, on board of the company. Mr. Klebert has a great deal of experience in the strategic development of global groups. For this reason, we are convinced that he is the right person capable of giving fresh momentum to GEA while leading it into the future as a profitable and sustainable enterprise.
Dr. Helmut Perlet also thanked the outgoing CEO: “In the course of the 17 years he has been serving GEA, 14 of them as CEO, he has left his mark on the company. Under his leadership, GEA has transformed into a leading global company in the fields of food, beverage and process technology. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Jürg Oleas for his important contribution to the development of the company.
“GEA is one of the world’s largest and leading suppliers for the food processing industry and a wide range of further sectors, and to me, it is a very exciting challenge to advance the strategic further development of the company together with its employees,“ says Stefan Klebert. “I am convinced that we will succeed in harnessing the outstanding market and technology position of the company for generating further profitable growth. I will use my early start for quickly and thoroughly familiarizing myself with the company, its business and the various stakeholders.”
