KROMI Logistik AG: Bernd Paulini and Axel Schubert appointed to Management Board

The Supervisory Board of KROMI Logistik AG has passed a resolution to appoint two members of the management, Mr. Bernd Paulini and Mr. Axel Schubert, to the company's Management Board with effect as of January 1, 2012. The Management Board is being expanded from two to four individuals as a consequence. Mr. Paulini will assume the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). As Chief Information Officer (CIO), Mr. Axel Schubert will be responsible for the management, steering and organisation of IT processes. With this decision, the company wishes to meet the organisational challenges entailed in the company's internationalisation, and to position the management level on an even broader base for future growth. This measure will also address the succession planning within the Management Board at an early juncture.

New COO Bernd Paulini has worked at KROMI Logistik since 2001, and has managed the energy department as well as the technical field work in Germany and Europe for the past 5 years. Mr. Paulini will be primarily responsible for the technology, engineering and product areas in the future. These will particularly include the organisation of all production processes directly related to the cutting tools as well as further promoting the research and development work. "As a manager of many years' standing, Bernd Paulini is the ideal appointment to this position. He will also contribute his extensive expertise at Management Board level in the future," is how KROMI's CEO Jörg Schubert described his new Management Board colleague.

Axel Schubert will assume the other newly created position of CIO at the start of 2012, being responsible for the technology and innovation areas, among others. The demands made of IT have undergone a sharp increase, especially with the company's internationalisation. In this context, securing permanent tool availability through our IT systems is a central success factor for KROMI's business model. The further development of this business department, and compliance with legal regulations, will form part of Axel Schubert's responsibilities. "Axel Schubert is very familiar with our IT processes through his many years at our company. As complexity is constantly increasing in this area, we are taking this trend into account with the creation of a new Management Board role," is how CFO Uwe Pfeiffer describes the new position.

With the appointment of these new Management Board members, KROMI Logistik is establishing possibilities at an early stage for succession arrangements that will be necessitated in the future: "Having been managing directors for many years, Bernd Paulini and Axel Schubert have long been indirect shareholders in the company through our participating company. As Management Board members, we are now gradually transferring departments and responsibilities to them, and are thereby creating the basis for the sustainable and forward-looking development of our company," is how Jörg Schubert concluded.