KION Group appoints new Chief Financial Officer and Chief People and Sustainability Officer

• Marcus A. Wassenberg appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Group
• Valeria Gargiulo to assume newly created role of Chief People and Sustainability Officer
• Chairman of the Supervisory Board Michael Macht: “The additions to the Executive Board underline KION Group’s clear commitment to achieving its strategic medium-term targets swiftly and in full, including strong profitability, the implementation of significant sustainability targets and the expansion of internal human resources planning and development initiatives.”

Frankfurt/Main, October 20, 2022 – KION GROUP AG announces the completion of its Executive Board with the appointments of Marcus Wassenberg as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Valeria Gargiulo as Chief People and Sustainability Officer (CPSO). The expansion of the Executive Board will come into effect in the first half of 2023; the position of CPSO will be newly created.

Marcus Wassenberg (55) joins KION GROUP AG as CFO from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. His responsibilities at KION will include Accounting, Controlling, Finance, IT, as well as M&A and Investor Relations. The VPs Finance of the Operating Units will also report to Wassenberg. He will assume his new role by April 1, 2023, at the latest. Since September 2019, he has been responsible for the successful implementation of a comprehensive transformation program as CFO at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, improving the company’s financial performance and competitiveness. He also served previously as CFO at Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG and Senvion AG. At both companies, he gained relevant industry experience and actively engaged with capital market participants. Wassenberg will work alongside with the entire Executive Board to further drive the profitability of the Group and enhance the processes required to achieve this. He will also actively engage in the dialogue with the capital markets both on the equities and the debt side.

Valeria Gargiulo (50) joins KION Group AG from Daimler Truck AG and will assume her new role as Chief People and Sustainability Officer in Frankfurt/Main by May 1, 2023, at the latest. She will also take up the role as Labor Relations Director. Gargiulo’s responsibilities at KION will include Group-wide HR, Health & Safety, and Sustainability. As CPSO, she will focus, among other things, on attracting and intensively developing talent around the globe, equipping internal teams with all the necessary skills, and further advancing a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that elevates people’s engagement and unlocks their long-term potential. At Daimler Truck, she serves as Vice President People & Organisational Development. With around 30 years of experience in HR, sales, legal and M&A, she brings extensive international experience as well as an excellent track record in organizational development, including building trustful relationships with social partners. As an active member of the ESG Steering Committee at her current employer, she is also instrumental in developing and implementing a state-of-the-art sustainability vision and process. Based on her many years of experience in the areas of environment, social and responsible corporate governance, she will sharpen the Group’s sustainability profile, significantly increase its transparency and ensure targeted implementation.

 “Valeria Gargiulo and Marcus Wassenberg, both experienced executives with proven track records, high performance standards and compelling visions for the future, will strengthen the incumbent Executive Board led by CEO Rob Smith” said Dr Michael Macht, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KION Group AG. “The additions to the Executive Board underline KION Group’s clear commitment to achieving its strategic medium-term targets swiftly and in full. This applies in particular to strong profitability, the implementation of significant sustainability targets and the expansion of internal human resources planning and development initiatives.”

Rob Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the KION GROUP, added: “We at KION are focused on delivering profitable growth for the benefit of our stakeholders. Central to this pursuit is to continue to be an attractive employer who masters the challenges of our times. As a responsible company, we will contribute to the positive and sustainable development of our environment and society. I look forward to working with Valeria Gargiulo, Marcus Wassenberg and all my other colleagues on the Executive Board to achieve our goals.”

The Company

The KION Group is one of the world’s leading providers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions. Its full spectrum of services includes industrial trucks, such as forklift trucks and warehouse trucks, as well as integrated automation technologies and software solutions for the optimization of supply chains—including all related services. The KION Group’s solutions ensure the smooth flow of materials and information in customers’ warehouses, production plants, and distribution centers in over 100 countries.

The MDAX listed group is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in Europe based on the number of units sold in 2021. Based on revenue for the year 2021, the KION Group is the leading overseas manufacturer in China, and including domestic manufacturers, the third-largest supplier there. The KION Group is also one of the world’s leading warehouse automation providers, based on 2021 revenue.

At the end of 2021, more than 1.6 million industrial trucks and over 8,000 installed systems from the KION Group were in use by customers from all manner of sectors and of varying sizes on six continents. The group currently has around 40,000 employees and generated revenue of approx. € 10.3 billion in the 2021 financial year.

You can access up-to-date image material for the KION Group via our image database https://mediacenter.kiongroup.com/categories as well as on our respective brands’ websites.
 

Disclaimer 

This communication and the information contained herein are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a prospectus or an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction, or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Future results may deviate significantly from the results currently expected, and due to various risk factors and uncertainties such as changes in the business, economic, or competitor situation, changes in legislation, outcomes of technical studies, exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties regarding litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financial resources. This particularly applies in respect of currently unforeseeable further developments in connection with the war in Ukraine, and the geopolitical consequences of the war, and in respect of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting impact on KION GROUP AG and its subsidiaries and on the wider economic and political environment in the markets in which KION GROUP AG and its subsidiaries operate. We do not assume any responsibility for updating the forward-looking statements contained in this release.
 

Further information for media representatives

Frank Grodzki
Vice President External Communication & Group Newsroom
Telephone +49 (0)69 201 107 496
Cell +49 (0)151 65 26 29 16
frank.grodzki@kiongroup.com
 

Christopher Spies
Corporate Communications Manager
Cell +49 (0)151 14 06 52 27
christopher.spies@kiongroup.com

Further Information for Investors

Sebastian Ubert
Vice President Investor Relations
Telephone +49 (0)69 201 107 329
sebastian.ubert@kiongroup.com
 

Raj Junginger
Senior Manager Investor Relations
Telephone +49 (0)69 201 107 942
raj.junginger@kiongroup.com