The Supervisory Board of Stabilus SE has resolved to propose Dr. Frank Heinricht for election to the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for February 4, 2026. This nomination represents a significant leadership transition for the company as Dr. Stephan Kessel, the current Chair, will not seek re-election after completing three terms as planned. The succession planning followed a structured selection process conducted by the Remuneration and Nomination Committee led by Dr. Ralf-Michael Fuchs, who evaluated multiple candidates before recommending Dr. Heinricht based on the Supervisory Board's composition objectives, competence profile, and diversity concept.
If elected by shareholders, Dr. Heinricht is expected to succeed Dr. Kessel and be elected as the new Chair of the Supervisory Board, subject to the corresponding resolution by board members. Dr. Frank Heinricht brings over three decades of executive experience across multiple technology sectors, including metals, specialty glass, and electrical industries. His most recent leadership role was as Chair of the Board of Management at Schott AG in Mainz from 2013 to 2024, where he oversaw the successful initial public offering of Schott Pharma AG in 2023. Prior to this position, he served on the Management Board of Heraeus Holding GmbH from 2003 to 2013, including six years as Chair of the Management Board.
The incoming candidate also possesses substantial governance experience through his service on multiple advisory and supervisory boards. He has held the position of Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board of the Wurth Group for approximately 15 years and currently serves as a member of the advisory board of Schwarz Unternehmenstreuhand KG and the supervisory board of B. Braun SE. Dr. Heinricht's educational background includes a degree and doctorate in physics from the Technical University of Berlin, followed by his professional start at Temic Telefunken microelectronic. This diverse experience across technology sectors and governance roles positions him well to guide Stabilus through its next phase of development.
Dr. Stephan Kessel, the outgoing Chair, reflected on his tenure with satisfaction, noting that during his time on the board, Stabilus has grown significantly through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, including the recent purchase of Destaco. These developments have positioned the company as a leading industrial supplier of motion control solutions and created a foundation for future growth. Dr. Kessel expressed confidence in his proposed successor, highlighting Dr. Heinricht's extensive expertise and leadership capabilities gained through his long-standing role at Schott AG and his position with the Wurth Group.
Dr. Ralf-Michael Fuchs emphasized the careful consideration given to the succession planning process, expressing confidence that Dr. Heinricht's extensive management experience and broad market knowledge would provide valuable impetus for Stabilus's continued development. The company, which generated revenues of EUR 1.3 billion in the 2024 fiscal year and employs eight thousand people worldwide, maintains its headquarters in Koblenz, Germany. Additional information about the company is available at https://group.stabilus.com and https://ir.stabilus.com. The formal invitation to the Annual General Meeting will be published in mid-December 2025, setting the stage for this important leadership transition that will shape the company's strategic direction in the coming years.
