Krones is reshaping its management board as Christoph Klenk steps down by mutual agreement following the annual general meeting on 10 June 2026, several months before his contract was due to expire at the end of the year. Thomas Ricker, a board member since 2012 and previously chief sales executive, will take over as chairman of the executive board on 11 June.
The wider reshuffle also strengthens several operational areas. Bülent Bayraktar will take charge of Process and System Solutions from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2029, while Reinhold Jung will lead International Operations and Services for the same term. Markus Tischer has had his contract extended by five years to 31 December 2031 and, as CTO, will also assume responsibility for the core functions technology, innovation and digitalisation as well as the machines and lines business for filling and packaging technology. CFO Uta Anders is additionally set to take over sustainability from 1 July.
The management changes come at a time when the Neutraubling-based equipment supplier remains operationally strong. Krones reported 2025 revenue of EUR 5.66 billion, up 7.0%, while customers’ willingness to invest stayed robust and the order backlog of about EUR 4.19 billion secured capacity utilisation well into the third quarter of 2026. For 2026, the company is targeting further growth in revenue and profitability.
Even so, the succession announcement was poorly received on the market. Shares in Krones dropped by around 5% on Xetra on 19 March as investors weighed the risks of a sudden leadership transition against the company’s otherwise solid trading performance and healthy order situation.
