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Generational Change in Executive Board

In view of the upcoming generational change in the management of the Group, the Supervisory Board of KUKA AG appointed, at today's meeting, Dr. Horst J. Kayser as CEO and Labor Director of KUKA AG with effect from October 1, 2008. In addition, Dr. Matthias J. Rapp was appointed as a new member of the Executive Board

16 de junho de 2008


After more than 30 years of successfully working for KUKA, Mr. Gerhard Wiedemann (61), CEO and Labor Director of the company, will not be extending his contract beyond March 31, 2009 and will be retiring from office with effect from September 30, 2008. He will advise the Executive Board until  March 31, 2009. As CEO, Gerhard Wiedemann made a major contribution to the positive overall development of the Group, from the completion of restructuring to the advent of profitable growth. He also had a decisive effect on the Group's systems business for several decades.

Dr. Horst J. Kayser (47), Graduate in Industrial Engineering/Electrical Engineering (Darmstadt Technical University) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) (Harvard University, Cambridge/USA), started his career as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company. In 1995, Dr. Kayser moved to Siemens-Unternehmensberatung, becoming the director here in 1998. In 2001, Dr. Kayser was appointed head of the Industrial Automation Systems division within Siemens Automation & Drives (A&D), Nuremberg (worldwide profit and loss responsibility, turnover € 1.5 billion). In 2004, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Ltd./South Korea. From 2006 to 2008, Dr. Kayser worked as the Chief Strategy Officer of Siemens AG in Munich. At the moment, Dr. Kayser is Chief Executive Officer of Siemens/UK and the North-West Europe Regional Cluster.

The Supervisory Board also appointed Dipl.-Kfm. Dr. Matthias J. Rapp (41) as the member of the Executive Board responsible for Finances and Controlling, with effect from July 1, 2008. Dr. Rapp is currently Commercial Director of KUKA Systems GmbH, the largest business division in the KUKA Group. Dr. Matthias J. Rapp studied in the Scientific University for Corporate Management in Koblenz. He started his career with the Boston Consulting Group. In 1997, Dr. Rapp moved to the Lurgi Group, Frankfurt/M.  (Metallgesellschaft AG) and was CFO of the pharmaceutical company Merz GmbH & Co. KGaA until 2006.

Dr. Jürgen Koch (51), member of the Executive Board responsible for Finances and Controlling, had announced already in December 2007 that he would not be standing for a further period of office for personal reasons. He will be stepping down from his position on June 30, 2008. Dr. Koch played a major role in reducing the company's level of debt, in creating solid accounting and financial structures within the Group and in the sale of the Packaging Division.

In addition, Mr. Bernd Liepert (45), who is responsible for the Robotics Division, is also a member of the Executive Board of KUKA Aktiengesellschaft.

Dr. Rolf Bartke, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, emphasized: "After a period of restructuring and consolidation, the personnel decisions made here will ensure the continuity as well as an additional impetus for the successful strategy of profitable growth. The Supervisory Board would like to thank those board members who are leaving the company for their successful contributions."