Montan-Stiftung-Saar resolves further course for the future

Montan-Stiftung-Saar has initiated further personnel changes in the management bodies of the companies with the aim of realigning the Saarland steel industry for the future. The Board of Management team under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler (65) is being systematically expanded to drive innovative solutions to the major challenges of the transformation as well as to realign the portfolios and quickly boost competitiveness. The supervisory bodies adopted the following specific resolutions:

At their respective meetings this week, the Supervisory Boards of SHS, Saarstahl and Dillinger appointed Markus Lauer (51) as a member of the executive management of SHS and as a member of the Board of Management and Chief Financial Officer of Dillinger and Saarstahl with effect from 1 June 2021. Markus Lauer has been employed by the SHS Group for more than 20 years and has headed the Finance departments of Dillinger and Saarstahl simultaneously since 2014. He has also been Chief Representative for SHS since 2018 and, among other things, has managed the affairs of Dillinger’s French subsidiary Dillinger France as Président Directeur Général since 2018.

In addition, Tom Niemann (46) was appointed as a member of the executive management of SHS and as a member of the Board of Management of Saarstahl AG and Chief Sales Officer, with effect from 1 October 2021. Tom Niemann is a proven sales and marketing specialist with a focus on digitalization and strategy in the metal and steel sectors. He was primarily responsible for strategy and business orientation at Aurubis from 2002 to 2008 and subsequently worked for McKinsey in the global metals industry, focusing on sales, marketing and transformation. He was head of strategy and transformation at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems from 2017 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been leading as Business Unit Director the business unit for Sports Medicine and Shoulder Recon at Johnson & Johnson in Germany.

“With the personnel decisions that have now been resolved, we have systematically strengthened the management team around Chairman Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler in order to pursue our goal of transformation and of boosting the competitiveness of the companies quickly and with renewed energy. The challenges that the Management Board team will have to confront together are far-reaching and will require enormous effort and support from everyone in the company,” said Reinhard Störmer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Montan-Stiftung-Saar and the Supervisory Boards of SHS, Dillinger and Saarstahl.

Störmer added: “Following the departure of Martin Baues from the companies, we have asked Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler to take on the duties of Chief Technical Officer of Dillinger and Saarstahl until further notice. Dr. Klaus Richter (61), to date the Chief Sales Officer of Saarstahl, is slated to take over as Chief Technical Officer of Dillinger and Saarstahl in the autumn until the end of his term of office. We are confident we are setting the right course for the future with this new team lineup in order to sustainably establish our companies among Europe’s leading steel producers.”

About the Montan-Stiftung-Saar trust

Montan-Stiftung-Saar is the owner of SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co KGaA. It is thus the indirect owner of Saarstahl AG and the majority shareholder of AG der Dillinger Hüttenwerke.

About SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA

SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar (formerly “SHS - Struktur-Holding-Stahl”) was established in 2010 as an operational management holding company which has since actively taken on tasks for the Saarland steel industry. This has enabled both companies to work more closely together beyond the previously existing cooperative ventures and to have a stronger presence in their markets. They are working in unison to grow, to become more flexible and to increase competitiveness in their respective markets.

About Dillinger and Saarstahl

Dillinger is a world leader in the manufacture of steel heavy plate for the steel construction, machine manufacturing, offshore, offshore wind power and line pipe sectors. Saarstahl is a world leader in the manufacture of wire rod and bar steel for the automotive industry, the construction industry and for general machine manufacturing. Dillinger and Saarstahl belong to SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar. More information can be found at www.dillinger.de or www.saarstahl.com.