KION announces Christian Harm as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – Marcus Wassenberg leaves the company

• Christian Harm takes over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of KION GROUP AG with immediate effect
• Marcus Wassenberg leaves the company at his own request

Frankfurt/Main, July 6, 2023 – The Supervisory Board of KION GROUP AG has appointed Christian Harm (55) as a member of the Executive Board with immediate effect. He assumes the position of CFO, replacing Marcus Wassenberg, who is leaving the company on best terms by his own request.

Christian Harm has a proven track record as a successful executive within KION – and its predecessor – of over 20 years. He has played a crucial role in strategic key projects of the company, such as the IPO of KION (2013), and the acquisition of Dematic (2016). Harm will work alongside with the entire Executive Board to further drive the profitability of the Group and the KION 2027 strategy. From 2006 to 2012, Harm led the procurement of the Group and then took over the leadership of the Group’s Strategy Department. In 2019, he initially assumed the position of Executive Vice President Finance and Operations, and from 2021 onwards, Harm took responsibility for the finances of the Group’s most profitable business, KION ITS EMEA, as Executive Vice President Finance.

New CFO with longstanding experience within the company

"The Supervisory Board is convinced that Christian Harm is the ideal appointment to lead the Finance function of a global technology leader. Harm has effectively managed strategically significant tasks of the company and held various leadership roles over many years. He has demonstrated his ability to shape and implement complex projects of enterprise-wide importance. We would like to express our gratitude to Marcus Wassenberg for his commitment and successful initiatives to increase the profitability of the Group and drive forward the necessary processes. At the same time, he has actively engaged in a trustworthy dialogue with the capital market. We regret his departure and wish him all the best for his future endeavors," says Hans Peter Ring, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KION GROUP AG.

"I am very much looking forward to working with Christian Harm on the Executive Board of our company. Harm knows customers, markets, and employees both from a corporate and operational perspective. Under his finance leadership, the profitability of KION ITS EMEA has recently improved significantly, another reason why Harm is the ideal CFO of KION GROUP AG. At the same time, on behalf of the Executive Board, I would like to thank Marcus Wassenberg for the good cooperation in the past. He has provided visible impulses for the company and made contributions to its successful development," says Rob Smith, CEO of KION GROUP AG.

Marcus Wassenberg, a member of the Executive Board of KION GROUP AG serving as Chief Financial Officer responsible for accounting, controlling, finance, IT, as well as M&A and Investor Relations, is leaving the company by his own request. He has reached a mutual agreement with the Supervisory Board to end his tenure with the KION Group with immediate effect, following diverging views on matters of company leadership.

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 the EMEA region 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 2022, more than 1.7 million industrial trucks from the KION Group were in use by customers from all manner of sectors and of varying sizes on six continents. The Group currently employs over 41,000 people and generated revenue of approx. €11.1 billion in the 2022 financial year.

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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
Senior Manager Corporate Communications
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