24.03.2021

New CEO for Wacker Neuson

Wacker Neuson has appointed Karl Tragl as its new chief executive from June onwards. He will take over from Kurt Helletzgruber, who was seconded from the supervisory board as interim chief executive and chief financial officer after chief executive Martin Lehner announced last year that he would not seek the renewal of his contract when it expires this month - see: Wacker Neuson CEO to depart.

Tragl joins the company after almost three years as chief executive of German industrial group Diehl, which operates metals and controls divisions alongside Diehl Defence and Diehl Aviation. He began his career in 1987 as a research engineer at DLR - the German aerospace centre - working on high frequency technologies. He left at the end of 1990 to join Siemens as a project manager and was promoted to managing director for the standard drives division in 1998. Two years later he joined Rexroth where he was appointed president of the service automation operation. In 2003 he was given a similar role at the group’s electric drives and control business and in 2008 moved to a sales and marketing position for the factory automation division, becoming chief executive of that business in 2010. In 2016 he accepted a role as group president of Arconic, a US based industrial group serving the aerospace, automotive and construction industries, before making the move to Diehl just under two years later.
Please register to see all images

Karl Tragl

Chairman Hans Neunteufel said: “With Tragl, we have won an experienced and international leader with an in depth understanding of the mechanical engineering industry to steer our company. He has a wealth of experience in internationalisation, which we can leverage to capitalise even more effectively on opportunities that arise for us on the global market.”

Tragl added: “The electrification and digitalisation of the construction industry presents a number of challenges, but also huge opportunities for the Wacker Neuson group. My clear goal is to help increase the company’s value in the long term. I am looking forward to this exciting task and working closely and successfully with my new colleagues.”

In June Kurt Helletzgruber will step down as chairman of the executive board but will continue as chief financial officer. Other executive board members include chief operations officer Felix Bietenbeck, chief technology officer and Alexander Greschner chief sales officer.