News: Suppliers
11 May 2020
Aixtron changes composition of Executive Board
The Supervisory Board of deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany has appointed Dr Jochen Linck as a new member of the Executive Board, with effect from 1 December 2020 or earlier (for a term of three years), in the role of chief technical and chief operating officer. As of 1 April 2021, he will assume responsibility at Aixtron for the areas of development, purchasing, manufacturing and logistics, quality management and IT.
Executive Board member Dr Bernd Schulte will retire at the expiry of his contract on 31 March 2021. Schulte has been with Aixtron for more than 28 years (since 1993) in various positions and has been a member of the Executive Board since 2002. He currently manages the company together with Dr Felix Grawert. “Schulte has shaped Aixtron with his deep understanding of technology, close customer relationships and entrepreneurial drive, and has made a significant contribution to the company’s success,” comments Supervisory Board chairman Kim Schindelhauer.
Linck has many years of experience in international management functions in various areas such as development, product management or launch management. The 54-year-old most recently served on the Executive Committee of Diebold Nixdorf Inc, a global provider of cash management and self-service machines for banking and retail. As managing director of DN Systems, he was responsible for the development and launch of a new product generation of ATMs. Prior to this, the engineer (who has a PhD in lean production) was a partner at McKinsey & Company, with a functional focus on product development, production and strategy in the mechanical engineering, aerospace and automotive industries.
In addition, the Executive Board is to be expanded to include a chief financial officer, bringing the total number of members to three. The Supervisory Board’s Nomination Committee is working to soon fill this position.
Executive Board member Dr Felix Grawert will take over as chairman & CEO on 1 April 2021, when the Executive Board will then consist of three members.
Aixtron’s technologies address different growth markets, for which market researchers predict double-digit annual growth rates over the next few years. The firm intends to benefit from this growth and, with an expanded Executive Board, sees itself well set up for the future.
“The generational change in the Aixtron Group’s leadership has started with the appointment of Dr Felix Grawert in 2017,” says Schindelhauer. “The appointment of Dr Jochen Linck and the soon-to-be-appointed CFO will then complete the generational change.”
