Dr. Horst D. Elsner retires / Dr. Thomas Schweisfurth new Chairman of the executive board

Dortmund. Dr Horst D Elsner (64) will retire on December 31st 2007 after serving eleven years as Chairman of the Board of the Dortmund based WILO AG. On January 1st 2008 Dr Thomas Schweisfurth (51) will succeed Dr Elsner as Chairman of the Board. Dr Schweisfurth is currently a member of the Wilo executive board having served three years with responsibility for all sales and marketing activities of the group.

Dr Elsner is one of the most distinguished personalities in the European Heating market sector and prior to his role as Chairman of the Wilo Executive Board he held senior management positions for 8 years within the Valliant Group. An enthusiastic supporter of industry initatives Dr Elsner has held several Honorary positions which include Chairmanship of the VDMA Fachverband Pumpen + Systeme (VDMA Pump + Systems association) and a long term management connection with the German Central Heating Industry association.

In his role of Chairman of the WILO AG Executive board Dr Elsner has made a number of strategic initiatives which have led to  significant pan-global development for the Wilo Group, and this development has enabled the Wilo Group to be recognised as a major supplier of pumps and pumping products to the Water and Waste water market sector. A direct consequence of this improved market penetration has been the dramatically improved Group turnover and EBIT performance.
For fiscal year 2006 the worldwide operations of the Wilo Group reported sales of 873.4 million Euros (+16.4%) and an after tax result of 60.9 million Euros (+14%). The Wilo Group now employs over 6,000 people Worldwide and comprises of more than 50 foreign subsidiaries.

The new Chairman of the Executive Board, Dr Thomas Schweisfurth, is committed to the continued  customer orientation and profitable growth of the Wilo Group, and like his predecessor will focus on market leading innovation whilst expanding the Wilo Group global presence.

Dr Jochen Opländer, the grandson of the company founder and Honorary Chairman of the Wilo Supervisory Board emphasised the smoothness of this management transition in the 136th year of the company's history. "Dr Elsner has made an outstanding contribution to the company for over a decade and now we are pleased to have as his successor Dr Schweisfurth who has the experience, qualifications, and commercial  background to manage the Wilo Group."

In addition to Dr Schweisfurth the Wilo management board also comprises Oliver Hermes (Finance and Controlling) and Jerome Perrod (Operations).

Additional information:
WILO AG, Nortkirchenstraße 100, 44263 Dortmund, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2 31/41 02-0, Fax: +49 (0) 2 31/41 02-7575
E-Mail: wilo@wilo.com, Internet: www.wilo.de

 
Captions

img_wilo_dr_horst_elsner
Having reached retirement age, Dr. Horst D. Elsner (64) will retire at the end of 2007 after eleven years as Chairman of the executive board of WILO AG in Dortmund.

img_wilo_dr_thomas_schweisfurth
On 1 January 2008, Dr. Thomas Schweisfurth (51), who has been responsible for sales and marketing on the Wilo executive board for three years, will become its Chairman.

Photos: WILO AG, Dortmund

 

Press contact:
WILO AGPress officeAnne FrentrupNortkirchenstrasse 10044263 DortmundGermanyPhone +49 (0)2 31/41 02-7197Fax +49 (0)2 31/41 02-7575anne.frentrup@wilo.com TECHNO PRESSPress Information ServiceOlaf StrubeltP.O. Box 10 04 49D-42004 WuppertalGermanyPhone +49 (0)2 02/9 70 10-0Fax +49 (0)2 02/9 70 10-50strubelt@technopress.de

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