The Ulm Local Court appointed Dr. Helmut Gassel and Stefan Kappis as members of the Supervisory Board of centrotherm international AG effective January 15, 2026, following a proposal from the Management Board and new main shareholder Ardian Semiconductor. During its first meeting on January 23, 2026, the newly formed board elected Dr. Gassel as Chairman and Mr. Kappis as Deputy Chairman. Robert M. Hartung retains his position on the board, while previous members Hans-Hasso Kersten and Dr. Xinan Jia resigned their seats effective December 17, 2025, reflecting changes in shareholder structure.
Dr. Helmut Gassel emphasized the board's commitment to supporting management in strategic development, stating he looks forward to collaborating with Mr. Hartung, whose extensive company knowledge has helped establish centrotherm as a reliable supplier to power semiconductor manufacturers. Dr. Gassel brings over three decades of international executive experience in semiconductors and electronics, most recently serving on the Executive Board of Infineon Technologies AG. He is also a partner and co-founder of Silian Partners, a team of semiconductor industry experts that maintains an exclusive strategic partnership with Ardian Semiconductor.
Stefan Kappis brings transaction expertise from his role as a director in the buyout team at Ardian Germany, where he has been involved in numerous deals since joining in 2014. His background includes investment banking experience at Barclays in Frankfurt, focusing on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. The appointments come as centrotherm continues to develop thermal production solutions and coating technologies for semiconductor, microelectronics, photovoltaic, and emerging sectors like fiber and battery production. The company maintains its corporate information online at https://www.centrotherm.de.
These leadership changes represent more than routine board adjustments; they reflect Ardian Semiconductor's growing influence as the new primary shareholder and suggest potential strategic redirection for the technology group. With Dr. Gassel's semiconductor industry connections and Mr. Kappis's financial transaction experience, centrotherm appears positioned to leverage Ardian's resources and network for expansion. The company's focus on innovative production concepts for competitive advantage aligns with global trends in green technology and efficient manufacturing, areas where supervisory guidance could prove crucial. As the industry evolves, this board restructuring may influence centrotherm's approach to partnerships, research collaboration, and market positioning in its core and emerging sectors.
