KION Group appoints new CFO and new Chief People and Sustainability officer

KION GROUP AG announced today the completion of its Executive Board with the appointments of Marcus Wassenberg as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Valeria Gargiulo as Chief People and Sustainability Officer (CPSO). The expansion of the Executive Board will come into effect in the first half of 2023; the position of CPSO will be newly created.

Marcus Wassenberg joins KION GROUP AG as CFO from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. His responsibilities at KION will include Accounting, Controlling, Finance, IT, as well as M&A and Investor Relations. The VPs Finance of the Operating Units will also report to Wassenberg. He will assume his new role by April 1, 2023, at the latest. Since September 2019, he has been responsible for the successful implementation of a comprehensive transformation program as CFO at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, improving the company’s financial performance and competitiveness. He also served previously as CFO at Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG and Senvion AG. At both companies, he gained relevant industry experience and actively engaged with capital market participants. Wassenberg will work alongside with the entire Executive Board to further drive the profitability of the Group and enhance the processes required to achieve this. He will also actively engage in the dialogue with the capital markets both on the equities and the debt side.

Valeria Gargiulo joins KION Group AG from Daimler Truck AG and will assume her new role as Chief People and Sustainability Officer in Frankfurt/Main by May 1, 2023, at the latest. She will also take up the role as Labor Relations Director. Gargiulo’s responsibilities at KION will include Group-wide HR, Health & Safety, and Sustainability. As CPSO, she will focus, among other things, on attracting and intensively developing talent around the globe, equipping internal teams with all the necessary skills, and further advancing a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that elevates people’s engagement and unlocks their long-term potential. At Daimler Truck, she serves as Vice President People & Organisational Development. With around 30 years of experience in HR, sales, legal and M&A, she brings extensive international experience as well as an excellent track record in organizational development, including building trustful relationships with social partners. As an active member of the ESG Steering Committee at her current employer, she is also instrumental in developing and implementing a state-of-the-art sustainability vision and process. Based on her many years of experience in the areas of environment, social and responsible corporate governance, she will sharpen the Group’s sustainability profile, significantly increase its transparency and ensure targeted implementation.

“Valeria Gargiulo and Marcus Wassenberg, both experienced executives with proven track records, high performance standards and compelling visions for the future, will strengthen the incumbent Executive Board led by CEO Rob Smith” said Dr Michael Macht, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KION Group AG. “The additions to the Executive Board underline KION Group’s clear commitment to achieving its strategic medium-term targets swiftly and in full. This applies in particular to strong profitability, the implementation of significant sustainability targets and the expansion of internal human resources planning and development initiatives.”

Rob Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the KION GROUP, added: “We at KION are focused on delivering profitable growth for the benefit of our stakeholders. Central to this pursuit is to continue to be an attractive employer who masters the challenges of our times. As a responsible company, we will contribute to the positive and sustainable development of our environment and society. I look forward to working with Valeria Gargiulo, Marcus Wassenberg and all my other colleagues on the Executive Board to achieve our goals.”