DGAP-News: SAF-HOLLAND S.A.: Dr. André Philipp takes up position as new COO at SAF-HOLLAND - Alexander Geis assumes newly created position of Chief Procurement Officer

Dr. André Philipp takes up position as new COO at SAF-HOLLAND - Alexander Geis assumes newly created position of Chief Procurement Officer


Luxembourg, December 17, 2018 - SAF-HOLLAND S.A. ("SAF-HOLLAND"), the listed supplier for the trailer, truck and bus industries has appointed Dr. André Philipp as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO). As a member of the Management Board, he will assume his post with the SAF-HOLLAND Group as of January 1, 2019. In his capacity, he will report to the Company's CEO, Detlef Borghardt.
 

In assuming the role as COO, Dr. Philipp will have central responsibility for all of the Group's production sites. The Global Quality, Global Lean Organization and Global Operations functions will report to him directly. At the same time, the goal will be to make way for the regional presidents to focus even more intensely on developing the markets and customer-related efforts in the respective regions of America, EMEA and APAC/China while pursuing the Group's strong organic growth for the long term. In the first nine months of 2018, the SAF-HOLLAND Group achieved total sales of EUR 980.9 million (py: EUR 864.7 million) and organic growth of 11.8%.
 

One of the focal points of the expanded COO function is to optimally interlink the processes within the Group-wide plant network of now 22 production sites and to standardize the process chains in order to achieve the highest level of operating efficiency possible at all plants. The core tasks of Dr. Philipp will include the operational implementation of the strategic goals in North America and China, particularly with respect to process optimization and the accelerated increase in efficiency in the recently restructured production network in North America.
 

André Philipp is a graduate in industrial engineering, and after further completing an MBA, he received his doctorate at the Chair for Management from Comenius University in Slovakia. Dr. Philipp has extensive experience in the automotive industry, particularly in the North American and Chinese markets. After several years with the Valeo Group among others as Managing Director of Valeo Beleuchtung Germany GmbH, he held various management positions at the Hella Group, where he last assumed responsibility as COO and Director Operations China. Dr. Philipp joins SAF-HOLLAND transferring from his most recent position as COO at Deutz Dalian Engine Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Deutz and the Chinese motor vehicle and engine manufacturer FAW.
 

Alexander Geis appointed Chief Procurement Officer of the Group
In addition to recasting its COO function, SAF-HOLLAND will bundle all of its global purchasing activities for the first time and appoint Alexander Geis as the Group's Chief Procurement Officer (CPO). Alexander Geis will assume this newly created role effective immediately while maintaining his role as President of the EMEA segment, where he has been responsible for the region's central purchasing and has successfully restructured it. He will promptly implement the new, centrally controlled purchasing organization for all reporting regions within the Group. The new CPO function will be responsible going forward for all of the strategic and operational purchasing activities within the SAF-Holland Group worldwide. In a market environment that continues to be challenging, SAF-HOLLAND expects to take advantage of the options for process optimization and realizable global purchasing synergies to make the purchasing process more efficient and thereby significantly improve the cost structure throughout the Group.
 

About SAF-HOLLAND:
SAF-HOLLAND S.A., located in Luxembourg, is the largest independent listed supplier to the commercial vehicle market in Europe delivering mainly to the trailer markets. With sales of approximately EUR 1,139 million in 2017, the Company is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of chassis-related systems and components primarily for trailers, trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles. The product range comprises axle and suspension systems, fifth wheels, kingpins, and landing gear marketed under the brands SAF, Holland, Neway, KLL, V.Orlandi and York. SAF-HOLLAND sells its products to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) on six continents. The Group's Aftermarket business supplies spare parts to the service networks of Original Equipment Suppliers (OES), as well as to end customers and service centers through its extensive global distribution network. SAF-HOLLAND is one of the few suppliers in the truck and trailer industry that is internationally positioned in almost all markets worldwide. With the innovation campaign SMART STEEL - ENGINEER BUILD CONNECT, SAF-HOLLAND combines mechanics with sensors and electronics and drives the digital networking of commercial vehicles and logistics chains. More than 4,400 committed employees worldwide are already today working on the future of the transportation industry.