07/11/2024 11:40:00 CEST, Reutlingen Dr. Ulrich Brahms to become new CEO, Martin Drasch to leave the company | Expansion of the Managing Board to three members: Stefan Lutter takes over new position as CTO | Efficiency program to streamline organization and optimize processes | In the future, the strategic focus will be increasingly on the expansion of the semiconductor business
The Managing Board of Manz AG, a globally active high-tech mechanical engineering company with a comprehensive technology portfolio, today adopted a multi-stage efficiency program of measures. In the first stage, the two divisions will be merged at the Reutlingen site and the organization will be further optimized. In this way, the performance, effectiveness and speed of implementation of customer projects are to be improved. In a second step, capacities will be adapted to the expected incoming orders and market developments by introducing short-time work. As announced, Manz is thus reacting to the current challenges in the direct market environment as a result of the continuing reluctance of European customers to make new investments, especially in the field of battery production.
Realignment of the Managing Board
At the same time, the Supervisory Board of Manz AG is reorganizing the Managing Board. The previous CEO Martin Drasch will leave the company at his own request and by best mutual agreement on August 31, 2024. With effect from July 15, 2024, the Supervisory Board has appointed Dr. Ulrich Brahms as a new member of the Managing Board and from 1st of September 2024 on as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a term of office of three years. Dr. Brahms has many years of experience in mechanical engineering. He is a proven expert in the strategic realignment and restructuring of companies and will use his know-how and in-depth knowledge of the market to consistently drive forward the strategic positioning of Manz AG.
Prof. Dr. Heiko Aurenz, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Manz AG, comments: "We would like to thank Martin Drasch for his high level of commitment to our company and his many years of tireless dedication, especially in the strategic development and entry into the battery market, as well as Manz's entry into the automotive market. We wish him all the best and every success for the future. In Dr. Ulrich Brahms, we have found what we consider to be an ideal successor who, with his skills in the field of strategy development and restructuring, is an ideal fit for our company in the current situation."
In addition, the Supervisory Board has decided to expand the Managing Board to three members. The new role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will be taken over by Stefan Lutter from September 1, 2024. He comes from SÜSS MicroTec SE, where he was responsible for R&D and production technology for many years as Managing Director. In his new role, he will be responsible for Manz's Electronics division with a focus on Asia. Together with Manfred Hochleitner, the company's long-standing CFO, Manz AG thus has a strong management team.
Efficiency program to streamline organization and processes
The core of the efficiency program adopted by the Managing Board with the approval of the Supervisory Board is the streamlining of the organization and optimization of processes. For example, the previously independent structures in the business segments at the Reutlingen site are to be merged organizationally. In this way, efficiency in the handling of customer projects is increased. The aim is to work on and manage all projects bundled in the overarching and closely interlinked areas of technological development, sales, project management and project controlling according to uniform standards in the future.
Manfred Hochleitner, CFO of Manz AG, explains: "In addition to a high degree of flexibility in the implementation of individual customer solutions, the cross-segment exchange of technology and know-how offers the opportunity to generate internal synergies with regard to platform structures and assemblies, product portfolio as well as processes and procedures and to use them more economically. This is where we want to take a consistent approach and see great efficiency potential for our company."
Increased focus on semiconductor markets
As part of the efficiency program, Manz AG will also expand its strategic focus. Since entering the battery market, the company has been developing innovative systems for battery cell production, which are used in particular in new cell and module factories of European and North American automotive manufacturers and suppliers. So far, this market has not developed at the pace and with the reliability predicted. Nevertheless, the markets for electromobility will remain an interesting sales market for Manz in the long term.
Against this backdrop, Manz is strengthening its strategic focus on the semiconductor market. The plan is to further and accelerate the expansion of business activities in the high-tech chip industry. Based on its successful positioning in Asia, Manz already supplies its customers with wet chemical process systems for the semiconductor industry. In the future, a special focus will be on intensifying the company's entry into the semiconductor market, based among other things on in-house developments in advanced packaging technology for the production of redistribution layers (RDL) with systems from Manz. The direction of the development activities is clearly defined: to provide customers with end-to-end solutions with integrated production processes, from the rapid introduction of prototype machines to complete lines for mass production. Due to the ever-increasing size of the chips of the manufacturers (e.g. NIVIDA AI Chip 70x70mm) panel solutions are leading the way to reduce costs and scale throughput in production.
In addition, new business areas are to be developed using the core competencies of robotics, automation, laser processing and industrial image processing in order to reach not only automotive customers – for example with inverters or powertrains for electric cars – but also additional customer groups for Manz production solutions that have not yet been the focus of sales activities.
