HeidelbergCement decides on Managing Board successions
- Dr. Bernd Scheifele will leave the Managing Board in February 2020 after 15 years as Chairman. To be proposed for election as successor to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting 2022.
- Dr. Dominik von Achten to succeed Dr. Bernd Scheifele as Chairman of the Managing Board in 2020.
- Dr. Lorenz Näger to remain Chief Financial Officer until May 2022 and to become Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board.
- Jon Morrish to take on responsibility for Western and Southern Europe from Dr. Dominik von Achten in 2020.
- Chris Ward to be promoted to the Managing Board and take on responsibility for North America from Jon Morrish.
- Ernest Jelito to be promoted to the Managing Board and take on responsibility for Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia from Dr. Albert Scheuer, who will leave the Managing Board in August 2019.
Upon conclusion of his third term at the end of January 2020, Dr. Bernd Scheifele will give up the chair of the Managing Board of HeidelbergCement AG to the current Deputy Chairman, Dr. Domink von Achten. This decision was made by the Supervisory Board at its meeting on 19 February 2019. Furthermore, the appointment of Dr. von Achten was extended until end of January 2025. At the same time, the Supervisory Board asked Dr. Scheifele to stand as candidate for Chairman of the Supervisory Board after the end of the statutory two-year cooling-off period in 2022. After careful consideration, Dr. Scheifele has declared that he will comply with this request.
Further decisions have also been made regarding the composition of the Managing Board as from 1 February 2020: The Supervisory Board has extended the contract of Chief Financial Officer Dr. Näger until the end of May 2022 and appointed him as new Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board. Dr. von Achten will hand over responsibility for the Western and Southern Europe Group area to Jon Morrish, who has thus far been in charge of North America. Chris Ward, currently head of the Canada region, will be promoted to the Managing Board and take on responsibility for the North America Group area.
Already starting in August 2019, Ernest Jelito, currently heading HeidelbergCement’s activities in Poland, will succeed Dr. Albert Scheuer as member of the Managing Board in charge of the Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia Group area. Dr. Scheuer will leave the Managing Board after the end of his third term.
“The changes in 2020 are part of long-term succession planning for the Supervisory Board and Managing Board of HeidelbergCement,” said Fritz-Jürgen Heckmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of HeidelbergCement AG. “Since assuming office in 2005, Dr. Bernd Scheifele has decisively shaped the Group and successfully moved it into new dimensions both operationally and strategically. By introducing effective management processes and a lean organisation, he significantly increased the competitiveness of HeidelbergCement, propelling us to the forefront of the industry. He has also overseen expansion of our geographic footprint and the scope of our core activities and made HeidelbergCement the leading vertically integrated building materials company globally. Already today, the Supervisory Board would like to thank Dr. Scheifele for his longstanding commitment. We have asked him to consider joining the Supervisory Board as Chairman so that he can continue to contribute his skills and experience for the benefit of the company. We are very glad that Dr. Scheifele has agreed to our request and will stand as a candidate for the Supervisory Board in 2022.”
“In the person of Dr. Dominik von Achten, we have named a very competent and experienced successor as Chairman of the Managing Board from within our own ranks,” added Dr. Bernd Scheifele. “He has played a decisive role in the very successful integrations of Hanson and Italcementi and has proven his competencies in managing the Group areas North America and Western and Southern Europe. With Ernest Jelito and Chris Ward, two further managers of our Group with many years’ experience in the business lines and international markets of HeidelbergCement, will be joining as new members of the Managing Board. Finally, we’d like to thank Dr. Scheuer for the dedication shown during his nearly 12-year term on the Managing Board. Through his unmatched competence in the cement business, he has contributed significantly to the operational excellence of HeidelbergCement.”
Dr. Dominik von Achten, Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board since 2015. He has been a member of the Managing Board since 2007 with responsibility for North America Group area and other topics. Currently, he is in charge of the Western and Southern Europe Group area and the Competence Center Materials. As Chief Digital Officer, he also oversees the digital transformation and digital ventures.
Dr. Lorenz Näger, Chief Financial Officer of HeidelbergCement since 2004. In addition, he is the head of finance, accounting, controlling, tax, treasury, insurances & risk management, IT and shared service center.
Ernest Jelito joined HeidelbergCement in 1982 and held various technical and management positions before taking over as Director Global HTC in 2009. Among his achievements are the effective roll-outs of the continuous improvement and operational excellence programmes in the cement business line. Since 2015, he has been working as General Manager Poland.
Chris Ward has been with the Group since 1996, holding various management positions in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas before taking on responsibility for the aggregates business in the Southeast region of the USA. Currently, he is responsible for the Canada region in the North America Group area.
About HeidelbergCement
HeidelbergCement is one of the world’s largest integrated manufacturers of building materials with leading market positions in aggregates, cement and ready-mixed concrete. The company employs some 60,000 people at more than 3,000 locations in around 60 countries.
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