GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft is setting the stage for its next phase of growth, extending Chief Executive Officer Stefan Klebert’s contract and unveiling a sweeping reorganization of its Executive Board and corporate structure.
The company’s Supervisory Board voted unanimously to renew Klebert’s term for two additional years, keeping him in the top role through December 2028.
“The Supervisory Board is delighted that Stefan Klebert has agreed to extend his term of office, thus continuing our successful and trust-based cooperation,” said Prof. Dieter Kempf, Chairman of the GEA Supervisory Board. “He has been highly successful in driving the company’s transformation and securing GEA’s entry into the DAX. We are convinced that his strategic foresight and clear direction will guide GEA into its next phase of growth.”
The decision to extend Klebert’s tenure comes alongside a structural overhaul that will take effect on January 1, 2026. The Executive Board will be expanded to six divisions, with several key internal appointments aimed at aligning leadership with GEA’s long-term strategic priorities in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries.
New Executive Appointments
Alexander Kocherscheidt, currently Chief Financial Officer of GEA’s Liquid & Powder Technologies Division, will assume the role of Group CFO, succeeding Bernd Brinker, who will depart the company by mutual agreement at the end of October 2025. Kocherscheidt joined GEA in 2019 after holding management roles at ThyssenKrupp and beginning his career in investment banking at Sal. Oppenheim.
Dr. Nadine Sterley, presently GEA’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Human Rights Officer, will lead the newly created People & Sustainability division, overseeing human resources, sustainability, and legal affairs. Before joining GEA in 2016, she worked as an attorney at an international law firm.
Kai Becker, currently head of the Heating & Refrigeration Technologies Division, will lead the new Pure Flow Processing Division, which will merge the Separation & Flow Technologies Division with the components business of Heating & Refrigeration Technologies. The existing division will be dissolved at the end of 2025.
Klaus Stojentin, now head of Separation & Flow Technologies, will take charge of the Nutrition Plant Engineering Division, combining the Liquid & Powder Technologies business with Heating & Refrigeration Solutions.
Peter Lauwers, Divisional CEO since 2020, will continue to oversee the Pharma & Food Applications Division, currently known as Food & Healthcare Technologies. The division’s portfolio will remain unchanged.
All new Executive Board members will serve three-year terms through the end of 2028, except for Kocherscheidt, whose appointment runs until October 2028. The Farm Technologies Division will continue under Dr. Andreas Seeringer, who will report directly to the CEO.
“The Supervisory Board looks forward to fruitful collaboration with the new Executive Board team,” Kempf said. “We are firmly convinced that the new Executive Board members embody exactly the right mix of entrepreneurship, drive, and innovative spirit. They have demonstrated these attributes impressively in their previous roles at GEA. Together, they will make a pivotal contribution to GEA’s continued development as a technology and sustainability pioneer.”
Kempf also expressed gratitude to outgoing CFO Brinker and COO Johannes Giloth for their leadership, noting that Giloth will remain through mid-2026 to support the transition.
Streamlining for Efficiency
The new structure is designed to simplify management and accelerate decision-making. By consolidating the company’s 14-member Global Executive Committee and eliminating its regional matrix organization, GEA expects to reduce complexity, cut costs, and foster closer ties to its markets.
The COO role, currently held by Giloth, will be phased out by June 2026. Procurement will become a centralized function reporting directly to Klebert, while other operational areas will be integrated across the remaining divisions.
China and India, two of GEA’s fastest-growing markets, will report directly to the CEO to strengthen entrepreneurial decision-making and accelerate regional growth.
“I greatly look forward to working with my new Executive Board team, all of whom I have known for many years and respect both professionally and personally,” said Klebert. “With the new Executive Board and organizational structure, we are establishing an even better foundation for accelerated profitable growth as part of our Mission 30 strategy. I owe special thanks to those colleagues who are leaving for their pivotal input. In particular, the efficiency programs of recent years in the COO area have contributed greatly to growing GEA’s value.”
Leadership Continuity at the Supervisory Level
To ensure stability during the transition, the Supervisory Board’s Nomination Committee will propose that Prof. Kempf be reappointed as Chairman for one additional year, extending his term through the 2027 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. The move aims to maintain continuity and support the company’s leadership as it implements its new management structure.
Find out more: https://www.gea.com/en/