Stabilus SE Proposes Dr. Frank Heinricht for Supervisory Board Chairmanship
Stabilus SE's planned leadership transition to Dr. Frank Heinricht as supervisory board chairman signals strategic continuity and brings extensive industrial expertise to guide the motion control solutions provider's future growth.
The Supervisory Board of Stabilus SE has resolved to propose Dr. Frank Heinricht for election to the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for February 4, 2026. This leadership transition comes as Dr. Stephan Kessel completes his planned three terms and will not seek re-election, marking a significant governance change for one of the world's leading motion control solutions providers.
Following a structured selection process conducted by the Remuneration and Nomination Committee led by Dr. Ralf-Michael Fuchs, the Supervisory Board determined that Dr. Heinricht's election would align with the board's composition objectives, competence profile, and diversity concept. If elected by shareholders, Dr. Heinricht is expected to succeed Dr. Kessel and be elected Chair of the Supervisory Board, subject to the corresponding resolution by the board members.
Dr. Heinricht brings over three decades of experience across the metal, specialty glass, and electrical industries, with substantial leadership credentials that include serving as Chair of the Board of Management at Schott AG from 2013 to 2024. During his tenure at Schott, he oversaw the successful initial public offering of Schott Pharma AG in 2023, demonstrating expertise in corporate finance and strategic development. His previous roles include six years as Chair of the Management Board at Heraeus Holding GmbH and serving as sole Managing Director of ATMEL Germany GmbH.
The outgoing Chairman, Dr. Stephan Kessel, expressed satisfaction with his tenure, noting that "the company has grown both organically and through strategic acquisitions - most recently acquiring Destaco - to become a leading industrial supplier of motion control solutions." He emphasized that these achievements position Stabilus for continued future growth and praised Dr. Heinricht as "an outstanding candidate" who would bring "extensive expertise and leadership to the Supervisory Board."
Dr. Heinricht's extensive board experience includes serving as Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board of the Wurth Group for approximately 15 years, along with membership on the advisory board of Schwarz Unternehmenstreuhand KG and the supervisory board of B. Braun SE. His educational background includes a degree and doctorate in physics from the Technical University of Berlin, followed by his career launch at Temic Telefunken microelectronic.
Dr. Ralf-Michael Fuchs highlighted the careful consideration given to this succession, stating that Dr. Heinricht's "extensive management experience and broad market and innovation expertise" would provide "valuable impetus for the further development of Stabilus." The company, which generated revenues of EUR 1.3 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, maintains its position as a global provider of motion control solutions across multiple industries including mobility, industrial machinery, automation, and energy.
The invitation to the Annual General Meeting where this leadership transition will be decided is scheduled for publication in mid-December 2025. Stabilus SE, listed in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the SDAX index, continues to expand its global production and distribution network that employs eight thousand workers worldwide. Additional information about the company's operations and investor relations can be found at https://group.stabilus.com and https://ir.stabilus.com.