SGL Carbon Appoints Andreas Klein CEO

The Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon SE has appointed Andreas Klein as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective January 1, 2025. Klein, currently Head of Graphite Solutions, will take on the role for a term of three years. Alongside this appointment, Thomas Dippold’s contract as CFO has been extended for five years, and Dr. Stephan Bühler has been added to the Board of Management for a two-year term.

Key Highlights:

Andreas Klein appointed as CEO starting January 1, 2025, for a three-year term.
Thomas Dippold (CFO) has had his contract extended by five years.
Dr. Stephan Bühler joins the Board of Management for a term starting January 1, 2025, for two years.
The Board of Management expands to three members as of January 1, 2025.

The supervisory board’s decisions respond proactively to the announcement by the current CEO, Dr. Torsten Derr, that he would not extend his management contract beyond its expiration in May 2025. The board agreed to Dr. Derr’s request for an early departure, allowing him to leave by December 31, 2024.

Andreas Klein, the incoming CEO, has been with SGL Carbon since October 2023 as Head of Graphite Solutions, which is the company’s largest business unit. He brings a background in Business Administration and extensive expertise in marketing, sales, strategy, and supply chain. Before joining SGL Carbon, Klein worked in senior positions at Bayer and Lanxess. As CEO, he will also continue his leadership of the Graphite Solutions division.

Prof. Dr. Frank Richter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon SE, commented: “We are very pleased that we were able to win Andreas Klein, an experienced manager, for the position of CEO. He is very familiar with SGL Carbon’s key markets and has gained deep insights into the company’s structures and business units over the last 15 months.” He also expressed gratitude to Dr. Torsten Derr for leading SGL Carbon back to profitable growth and ensuring the company’s strategic direction.

Thomas Dippold, who has been the Chief Financial Officer since October 2020, holds a degree in Business Administration. He started his career at HSBC Bank and later worked for Schaltbau Holding AG. Dippold played a critical role in the successful financial restructuring of SGL Carbon, ensuring a solid foundation for the company.

Dr. Stephan Bühler has been with SGL Carbon for over a decade and oversees Legal, Compliance, and Corporate Audit. He previously served on the Board of Management from October 2019 to October 2020. Dr. Bühler, with a background in law and significant experience in Mergers & Acquisitions, will be responsible for implementing strategic options for the Carbon Fibers business unit, handling the company’s legal matters, and overseeing ESG initiatives.

With these appointments, SGL Carbon’s Board of Management will comprise three members as of January 1, 2025, emphasizing continuity and stability in the company’s strategic direction. The internal succession approach for the CEO role signals the board’s commitment to maintaining a stable leadership structure.