Christian Harm

KION announces Christian Harm as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – Marcus Wassenberg leaves the company

Posted on Jul 6, 2023 in Shifting Gears

• Christian Harm takes over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of KION GROUP AG with immediate effect

• Marcus Wassenberg leaves the company at his own request

  The Supervisory Board of KION GROUP AG has appointed Christian Harm (55) as a member of the Executive Board with immediate effect. He assumes the position of CFO, replacing Marcus Wassenberg, who is leaving the company on best terms by his own request.

  Christian Harm has a proven track record as a successful executive within KION – and its predecessor – of over 20 years. He has played a crucial role in strategic key projects of the company, such as the IPO of KION (2013), and the acquisition of Dematic (2016). Harm will work alongside with the entire Executive Board to further drive the profitability of the Group and the KION 2027 strategy. From 2006 to 2012, Harm led the procurement of the Group and then took over the leadership of the Group’s Strategy Department. In 2019, he initially assumed the position of Executive Vice President Finance and Operations, and from 2021 onwards, Harm took responsibility for the finances of the Group’s most profitable business, KION ITS EMEA, as Executive Vice President Finance.

  New CFO with longstanding experience within the company

  “The Supervisory Board is convinced that Christian Harm is the ideal appointment to lead the Finance function of a global technology leader. Harm has effectively managed strategically significant tasks of the company and held various leadership roles over many years. He has demonstrated his ability to shape and implement complex projects of enterprise-wide importance. We would like to express our gratitude to Marcus Wassenberg for his commitment and successful initiatives to increase the profitability of the Group and drive forward the necessary processes. At the same time, he has actively engaged in a trustworthy dialogue with the capital market. We regret his departure and wish him all the best for his future endeavors,” says Hans Peter Ring, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KION GROUP AG.

  “I am very much looking forward to working with Christian Harm on the Executive Board of our company. Harm knows customers, markets, and employees both from a corporate and operational perspective. Under his finance leadership, the profitability of KION ITS EMEA has recently improved significantly, another reason why Harm is the ideal CFO of KION GROUP AG. At the same time, on behalf of the Executive Board, I would like to thank Marcus Wassenberg for the good cooperation in the past. He has provided visible impulses for the company and made contributions to its successful development,” says Rob Smith, CEO of KION GROUP AG.

  Marcus Wassenberg, a member of the Executive Board of KION GROUP AG serving as Chief Financial Officer responsible for accounting, controlling, finance, IT, as well as M&A and Investor Relations, is leaving the company by his own request. He has reached a mutual agreement with the Supervisory Board to end his tenure with the KION Group with immediate effect, following diverging views on matters of company leadership.