After almost 17 years as a President & CEO, and serving the company for 37 years, Werner M. Dornscheidt will resign from his office at the end of this month. He will be replaced by Wolfram N. Diener and his team. Erhard Wienkamp (Managing Director of Fair Management) and Bernhard J. Stempfle (Managing Director Finance & Technical Operations, Digital Strategy & Communication) will complete the Board of Managing Directors.
“Trade fairs are my life,” Dornscheidt said. “What we have built up together with my team over all those years benefits the company today. While conditions are difficult at present, it is comforting to know that ‘my’ company is in good hands. The team is already busy working on a re-start and developing further digital add-ons so that Messe Düsseldorf will also remain the successful, reputable company in future that it is today. I have made my contribution.”
The Messe Düsseldorf Group closed the last full business year with a sales increase of 28.7% to EUR378.5m. Group earnings after tax more than doubled in 2019 at EUR56.6m. In 2004 Dornscheidt took over as CEO of the company when the Messe Düsseldorf Group posted an ROI of 6.4% and a core capital ratio of 34.4%; its ROI recently rose to 14.8% and its core equity ratio to 66%. Wolfram N. Diener has served Messe Düsseldorf as Managing Director Operative Business since 2018 and will take over as Chief Executive Officer from 1 July 2020. “I am delighted at the trust placed in me. We can perfectly build on Werner Dornscheidt’s achievements and jointly rise to the challenges ahead. Here in Düsseldorf we boast an inimitable brand profile that can be made even more successful through the drivers that are internationalization and digitalization; and what’s just as important: a powerful team,” Diener added.