Heidelberg appoints new CEO

Press giant Heidelberg has appointed outsider Rainer Hundsdörfer as its new chief executive, replacing Gerold Linzbach who is set to depart the company completely next month.

Hundsdörfer - who is flagged by Heidelberg as an ‘industry expert’ - arrives from a chairman position at a German motor manufacturing business and as CEO of another machines and systems manufacturer. Alongside Hundsdorfer is the appointment of Ulrich Hermann who will become a regular Board member.

Chairman of the Heidelberg Supervisory Board Siegfried Jaschinski commended outgoing CEO Linzbach on his work redirecting Heidelberg on track to profit during his four-year tenure.

“We sincerely thank Gerold Linzbach for successfully turning around the company. Heidelberg is well on track,” says Jaschinski.

“We are delighted to have gained an internationally experienced leadership personality in Rainer Hundsdörfer to drive forward the reorientation of the company.

“Hundsdörfer has acquired many years of specialist expertise with global technology leaders that will help pave the way forward to a successful digital future at Heidelberg,” he adds.

[Related: Heidelberg says drupa sales rescued its earnings]

Hundsdörfer says his leadership will help steer Heidelberg into the digitised print future.

“Heidelberg is moving toward customer-focused technology and services in what is a changed market environment,” says Hundsdörfer.

“We now need to make solid use of the opportunities digitisation presents for profitable growth.”

Linzbach was appointed four years ago and is credited with turning the company around and reorienting it towards a digital future. He took the business back into profitability, dumped most of its finishing, opened Heidelberg up to partnerships, notably with Fujifilm, and pulled out of Ipex, causing a stampede of other exhibitors to flee and spell the end for the show.

He suffered a stroke a year ago which kept him away for the business for six months, retuning for drupa but in a limited capacity.