The Kiel shipyard thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) has a new managing director.
At an extraordinary meeting, the Supervisory Board of tkMS confirmed its previous Chairman, Oliver Burkhard, as the successor to Dr Rolf Wirtz. Oliver Burkhard will move to the fjord on 1 May 2022. He is no stranger there. In his role as a member of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG, Burkhard has been responsible for the marine business since 2018 and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems GmbH since 2017. Since 2013, the business administration graduate has been a member of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Labour Director. Six years earlier, Burkhard, who was born in 1972, attracted attention when he was elected as the youngest district leader of IG Metall in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The chairmanship of the Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will pass to Dr Klaus Keysberg, Chief Financial Officer of thyssenkrupp AG, when Oliver Burkhard takes up his post.
Dr Rolf Wirtz has brought the Kiel shipyard many successes in recent years. His balance sheet probably amounts to an order volume of around 14 billion euros - roughly calculated. The recently completed submarine projects with Israel and Norway are examples of this, along with the frigate/corvette contracts with Egypt and Brazil. The Kiel-based company's order book should be well filled until the mid-thirties. But tkMS stands for more than just submarines and MEKO (frigates/corvettes). The Kiel-based company is involved in the development of autonomous underwater vehicles, the disposal of (munitions) waste and innovations in production and manufacturing.
Dr Wirtz will remain with the company as a consultant from 1 May 2022, when his appointment expires.
tkMS - Quo Vadis?
In the past, thyssenkrupp had repeatedly flirted with a suitor for its Kiel subsidiary or its sale. According to reports from other media, Oliver Burkhard saw the need to consolidate the shipyards - nationally and/or in Europe. In February, Handelsblatt reported on a new initiative by thyssenkrupp to reorganise the European shipyard scene. The business journal mentioned Fincantieri (Italy), Naval Group (France) and Saab (Italy) by name. The EU taxonomy, which makes it more difficult for defence companies to realise interim financing, may be an additional driver for an divorce between Essen and Kiel.
In the press release on the personnel decision of 18 March 2022, thyssenkrupp AG announces that the Group's current Chief Human Resources Officer will perform his new role from his position on the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG. The Essen-based company expects this to increase the importance of Marine Systems within the thyssenkrupp Group. In future, the Kiel shipyard will be directly represented on the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG. Oliver Burkhard sees it this way: "The discussions on the further development of the company can now be conducted strategically from a single source." The holistic view may be obvious to him from his early years as an administrative assistant in the National Accounts Department of the Federal Statistical Office.
Coincidence?
This means that there will be another change of chair at the mouth of the Schwentine within six months. On 1 December, the previous CEO of German Naval Yards Kiel (GNYK), Jörg Herwig, handed over the helm to Rino Brugge. The Dutchman, who comes from a shipbuilding family, had previously worked for the Damen Group for many years.
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