CERATIZIT Executive Board with new allocation of responsibilities

CERATIZIT S.A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), 07 December 2023

CERATIZIT has reallocated responsibilities on the Executive Board as of 1 December 2023. Following the planned retirement of Executive Board Member Thierry Wolter from the operational business, the Executive Board will consist of three members in future: Melissa Albeck, Andreas Lackner and Frank Thomé.

“Thierry Wolter has been one of the defining personalities of the company over the last 30 years and has made a decisive contribution to making CERATIZIT one of the world's largest carbide manufacturers today,” comments Karlheinz Wex, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, on Thierry Wolter's role in the company's history. Born in Luxembourg, he was the most prominent face of the company, particularly in the cutting tool sector, and represented CERATIZIT nationally and internationally in numerous organisations.

Wolter sees his entrepreneurial legacy in good hands. “After 30 years, it is time to pass the torch to the next generation. CERATIZIT has come a long way since the merger in 2002 and I am firmly convinced that with the energy, ideas and commitment of the employees we will succeed in becoming one of the three largest carbide manufacturers in the world in the coming years,” says Wolter.

Three Executive Board Members

As part of the ongoing integration of the Plansee Group, the three CERATIZIT Executive Board Members are also taking on overarching tasks. For example, Executive Board Spokesman Andreas Lackner is not only responsible for production in all CERATIZIT divisions. As a member of the Executive Board of the Plansee Group, he is also responsible for the strategic core topic of sustainability for the entire Plansee Group.

Advancing Internationalisation

Melissa Albeck is now responsible for the sales of cutting tools, which was previously the responsibility of Thierry Wolter. She is also responsible for CERATIZIT's American business on the Executive Board. The Board trio is completed by Frank Thomé. His responsibilities include sales for the Hard Material Solutions and Global Tungsten & Powders divisions as well as the company's Asian business, including the CB-CERATIZIT joint venture.

This gives Albeck and Thomé a key role in the company. In order to continue to grow faster than the market and become the number 3 in the carbide industry, it is planned to focus on growth in Asia and on the American continent in the coming years.