SAF-HOLLAND S.A.: Jack Gisinger succeeds Sam Martin as President of the American subsidiary - Detlef Borghardt appointed Deputy CEO of SAF-HOLLAND Group
SAF-HOLLAND S.A. / Key word(s): Change of Personnel 16.11.2010 17:11 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Gisinger succeeds Sam Martin as President of the American subsidiary - Detlef Borghardt appointed Deputy CEO of SAF-HOLLAND Group Luxembourg, November 16th, 2010 - Sam Martin (65), COO of SAF-HOLLAND Group and President of the American subsidiary SAF-HOLLAND Inc., will resign from his operating activities at the end of 2010 at his own request. He will remain available to the Company to help insure a smooth transition in leadership. He is expected to be nominated to join the Board of Directors at the Company's Annual General Meeting on 28 April 2011. His responsibilities in the Management Board will be re-distributed and the board will also be reduced in size. Jack Gisinger (62) will succeed Mr. Martin as President of the American subsidiary SAF-HOLLAND and will take up his new position as of January 2, 2011. At the same time, Detlef Borghardt (48) will assume the position of Deputy CEO of the entire Group and will take over the responsibility for the strategic planning. The COO function will therefore be dropped in the future. 'Sam Martin's decision to end his active career marks the departure of a strong leader who had a formative influence on the Company. He made a vital contribution to SAF-HOLLAND, a company recognized today as a technology leader and a strong brand in many of our international markets. The Board would like to thank Sam, also on behalf of all his colleagues and staff, for the outstanding work he has done. Jack Gisinger and Detlef Borghardt are recognized market experts who will continue to pursue our corporate strategy and we are very pleased that they have taken on these new responsibilities', said Bernhard Schneider, Chairman of the Board of Directors at SAF-HOLLAND S.A. Jack Gisinger and Detlef Borghardt were appointed to the Management Board in June 2007 in the course of the initial public offering of SAF-HOLLAND. Each is responsible for one of the Company's three business units. Mr. Gisinger is Head of the Powered Vehicle Systems Business Unit and Mr. Borghardt of the Trailer Systems Business Unit. In addition to their new functions, they will continue to be responsible for these business units. Mr.Gisinger holds degrees in aeronautical engineering and mechanical engineering. Since joining the Company in 1980, he has held various management positions with increasing responsibility at SAF-HOLLAND or the former Holland Group. These positions included several years as Managing Director of the European companies of the former Holland Group Inc. Mr. Borghardt holds an engineering degree in vehicle design. He joined SAF in 2000 as Head of Sales, Marketing and Services. Before joining SAF, he held several management positions at Alusuisse-Lonza. Sam Martin was also appointed to the Management Board in 2007 in the course of the initial public offering of SAF-HOLLAND Group. After gaining initial professional experience as a metallurgical engineer, Mr. Martin, who holds a Ph.D. in engineering, joined the Company in 1974 and soon took up management positions. He played a decisive role in shaping the success of the former Holland Group. and subsequently SAF-HOLLAND Group. Important milestones of his work include the successful reorganization of the former Holland Group in 2002 and 2003, the merger of the companies SAF and Holland at the end of 2006, the initial public offering of the Company in mid 2007 and the restructuring in North America of the SAF-HOLLAND Group as a result of the recent financial and economic crisis. A further change to the Management Board of SAF-HOLLAND involves the resignation of Dr. Martin Kleinschmitt (50) as Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO). Consistent with the completion of the Company's restructuring program that was introduced two years ago, he has concluded his function of CRO on the Management Board as planned. Dr. Martin Kleinschmitt was appointed as an additional member of the Management Board on August 1, 2009 and played a crucial role in securing the Group's financing at the end of last year. He is also a member of the Executive Board of Noerr Consulting AG, Berlin, and will continue to act as a consultant to SAF-HOLLAND on a selective basis. The rest of the SAF-HOLLAND Group GmbH's Management Board remains the same, with Rudi Ludwig as CEO, Wilfried Trepels as CFO and Steffen Schewerda as Head of Group Operations. Company Profile: With approximately EUR 420 million in sales and over 2,000 employees, SAF-HOLLAND S.A. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of premium product systems and components primarily for trailers as well as trucks, buses and recreational vehicles. The product range encompasses axle and suspension systems, fifth wheels, coupling devices, kingpins, and landing legs. SAF-HOLLAND customers include the majority of large truck and trailer producers all over the world. The products are sold to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Original Equipment Suppliers (OESs) by means of a global service and distribution network and via aftermarket channels directly to the end users and service garages. SAF-HOLLAND has therefore established itself as one of the few manufacturers in its sector that is internationally positioned with an extensive product range and a broad service network. SAF-HOLLAND S.A. has been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007. Contact: SAF-HOLLAND Group GmbH Barbara Zanzinger Hauptstraße 26 63856 Bessenbach Phone +49 6095 301-617 barbara.zanzinger@safholland.de 16.11.2010 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: SAF-HOLLAND S.A. 68-70, boulevard de la Pétrusse L-2320 Luxembourg Luxemburg Phone: +49 6095 301 - 0 Fax: +49 6095 301 - 260 E-mail: info@safholland.de Internet: www.safholland.com ISIN: LU0307018795 WKN: A0MU70 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Hamburg, München, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart End of Announcement DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------