Owners take the next step in the transition to the next generation of the family business 

WITTENSTEIN’s owners have taken another step in the family-run firm’s generational change process: Dr Manfred Wittenstein, until now Chairman of the WITTENSTEIN SE Supervisory Board, stepped out a few days ago at the end of the Board’s regular term of office. After a good seven years on the firm’s Management Board, Dr Anna-Katharina Wittenstein has now joined the Supervisory Board. 

This seamless generational change on the Supervisory Board of WITTENSTEIN SE sends out a clear signal of the owning family’s intention to continue playing an active, strategic and visionary role in the future and to develop the company sustainably.

Dr Manfred Wittenstein, who stepped out of his role as Chairman of the WITTENSTEIN SE Supervisory Board at the end of the Board’s regular term of office at the Annual General Meeting of WITTENSTEIN SE on September 16, 2022, will continue to support the body with his knowledge and experience as Honorary Chairman. 

The new line-up of the WITTENSTEIN SE Supervisory Board:

• Professor Michael Junker: New Chairman of the WITTENSTEIN SE Supervisory Board and a member of the body since 2019; proprietor of the Dusseldorf institute of the same name, which supports the transformation of corporate value chains as a result of digitalization; Global Partner of Accenture from 2003 to 2017; prior to that Director at Allianz AG and AXA Holding Paris

• Dr Stefan Reineck: Vice Chairman of the WITTENSTEIN SE Supervisory Board and a member of the body since 2011; Managing Director of RMC Dr Reineck Management & Consulting GmbH; positions on the Advisory and Supervisory Boards of listed and non-listed companies; management of own investments mainly in startup enterprises; Chairman of Venture Forum Neckar e.V.

• Professor Ronald Gleich: Member of the Supervisory Board since 2011; Professor of Management Practice and Control at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management; Professor of Industrial Management at EBS University (2003-2019) and Director of the Horváth Academy (2012-2018) 

• Dr Anna-Katharina Wittenstein: Previously a member of the WITTENSTEIN SE Management Board since 2016; in addition to her Supervisory Board activities, as one of the “active owners” she will also assume tasks on behalf of the WITTENSTEIN family business

• Jürgen Guckenberger: Member of the Supervisory Board since 2011; Expert Dimensioning Mechatronic Servo Drive Systems at WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH; employee representative of WITTENSTEIN SE

• Niko Neckermann, Development Engineer at WITTENSTEIN SE; employee representative / Chairman of the WITTENSTEIN SE Works Council 

The go-ahead for the “next” step in the transition to the next generation of the family business was given unanimously and was the outcome of close consultation between the owners, the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of WITTENSTEIN SE – the company’s stable management and good economic situation were key enablers here along with the clear, forward-looking alignment strategy. 

Apart from Dr Anna-Katharina Wittenstein’s departure to join the Supervisory Board, the composition of the Management Board will remain unchanged: Dr Bertram Hoffmann (CEO), Erik Roßmeißl and Steffen Schwerd.

Pictures (source: WITTENSTEIN SE, Anke Hartenstein)

• Photo 01/02: Dr Manfred Wittenstein and Dr Anna-Katharina Wittenstein
• Photo 03: The WITTENSTEIN SE Supervisory Board (from left to right): Professor Ronald Gleich, Jürgen Guckenberger, Professor Michael Junker, Dr Stefan Reineck, Dr Anna-Katharina Wittenstein, Niko Neckermann