Koenig & Bauer is pressing ahead with the reorganisation of the Group announced in November 2024. The new segment structure, which envisages only two segments instead of the previous three, is being implemented successively.
As at 1 December 2024 Christian Steinmaßl took over the management of various areas of the Special & New Technologies segment and the Paper & Packaging Sheetfed Systems segment has been managed by Markus Weiß responsible for the company. He succeeds Ralf Sammeck, who will retire in June 2025. Both are members of the Executive Board and represent their respective segment on the Executive Board.
In the course of the strategic realignment Christoph Müller announced that he would be stepping down from his position as a member of the Executive Board at his own request on 31 March 2025 as part of the generational change. According to the Würzburg-based company, this is a further step in the planned downsizing from the original five to two Management Board members.
In mid-2024, Müller handed over the position of CEO of Digital & Webfed AG & Co. KG to Philipp Zimmermann, to concentrate more on the expansion of technologies and partnerships in the field of digital printing. He will continue to support Koenig & Bauer as an executive advisor in order to utilise his many years of expertise and the international network of customers and partners he has built up over decades.
Christoph Müller played a decisive role in the transformation from traditional gravure printing to modern high-performance digital printing. Under his leadership, ground-breaking projects were initiated, which have revolutionised the company in the areas of Packaging and digital printing have brought us forward.
Collaboration with partners such as Sealed Air was also an important building block in these developments. This collaboration laid the foundation for the development of the globally unique RotaJET industrial digital printing machine, which, in addition to packaging and book printing, also serves industrial high-performance printing for decor and beverage cartons. His long-standing network also led to a successful collaboration with Hewlett Packard (HP), which resulted in the HP PageWide T1190, T700 and T500 products. In addition to these partnerships, the acquisition of shares in Celmacch played an important role in the Group's entry into direct corrugated board printing. These strategic alliances have sustainably expanded Koenig & Bauer's product portfolio and strengthened its market position, according to the Würzburg-based company. Müller adds: „After many years in operational responsibility, I am delighted to remain associated with Koenig & Bauer in the next phase as an executive advisor in order to pass on the network I have built up over decades and to strengthen and promote customer relationships and partnerships. The close dialogue with our global customers and partners is a matter close to my heart and I am convinced that together we will open up even more opportunities.“
As part of the ‘Spotlight’ focus programme, Koenig & Bauer announced the ‘D&W 2.0’ reorganisation programme at the beginning of May 2024. Dr Andreas Pleßke, CEO of Koenig & Bauer, was managed by the company. The introduction of the measures was essentially completed by 31 March 2025. Christian Steinmaßl As a member of the Group Executive Board, he will assume responsibility for the Digital & Webfed division within the Special & New Technologies segment in addition to his previous responsibilities for Industrial, Vision & Protection, Kyana and Group Purchasing.
„Printing is our core business and innovation is what drives us, which is why I am looking forward to working with the management of Digital & Webfed, Mr Philipp Zimmermann (CEO), and the motivated team to successfully develop the Digital & Webfed business area further. There are great opportunities ahead of us, such as broadening our flexo webfed printing business in new market segments. I am also looking forward to exciting new customer projects for RotaJET in order to customise our hybrid printing solutions to meet the trends and requirements of the packaging industry. Together with our customers, we are shaping print production and realising potential in web printing. Every day offers new opportunities to learn and make a difference, together with the Digital & Webfed team, our customers and the exciting projects that lie ahead.“
Christian Steinmaßl
Source: Koenig & Bauer
