Corporate press release
Axel Stepken to succeed Jens Riedl on the Supervisory Board of GEA Group AG
15 Mar 2024
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Axel Stepken, CEO of TÜV SÜD Stiftung, will stand for election by shareholders as a new member of the Supervisory Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft at the Annual General Meeting on April 30, 2024. In the event of his election, the Supervisory Board has appointed him as a member of the Supervisory Board’s Presiding and Sustainability Committee.
Axel Stepken, who was born in the city of Essen, worked for TÜV SÜD AG for more than 20 years before taking up his current position. He was initially a member of the Executive Board responsible for the Industry division and the Asia-Pacific region, before taking over as CEO in 2007. After studying electrical engineering and earning his doctorate at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, he began his career at ABB, where he held various management positions. Prof. Dr. Axel Stepken is an honorary professor at the Technical University of Munich.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Axel Stepken, CEO of TÜV SÜD Stiftung
He succeeds Dr. Jens Riedl, Investment Partner at Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL), who has stepped down from the Supervisory Board effective as of the end of the upcoming Annual General Meeting.
“With Axel Stepken, we welcome an internationally experienced industry expert who will be an excellent addition to our Supervisory Board, not only for his profound knowledge of the Asian region. We are very much looking forward to working together,” said Professor Dieter Kempf, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GEA Group AG. “The Supervisory Board wishes Jens Riedl all the best for the future and thanks him for his extraordinary commitment and outstanding cooperation on the board and its committees.”
Matthias Schnettler
Media Relations
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft
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Düsseldorf
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+49 211 9136-0
About GEA
GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology.
With more than 18,000 employees, the group generated sales of about EUR 5.5 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2025 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”
GEA is listed on the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.
