Thomas Kölbl (61) has informed the supervisory board that he will not renew his executive board contract, which expires on 31 May 2024.
"After almost 34 years at Südzucker, including almost 20 years as a member of the executive board, we respect Mr. Kölbl's decision with great regret. We are grateful for his many years of dedicated and trustful service. With his excellent judgment and farsightedness, he has certainly led the company through very difficult phases. Südzucker owes a great deal of progress to him, whereby - in addition to the prospects for the people in the company - stability and risk-bearing capacity were always his top priorities," said Dr. Stefan Streng, chairman of Südzucker AG's supervisory board. "We will use the coming months to arrange the succession."
"In the executive board team, we value Thomas Kölbl not only because of his enormous experience and high professional qualifications, but also because of his human and extremely collegial manner," adds Dr. Niels Pörksen, CEO of Südzucker AG.
In a personal message to employees, Kölbl said, "I work for ‘our’ Südzucker with great pleasure and commitment. Having reached the age of 61, I have come to the firm conclusion that it is a good time for our company in the current environment, as well as for me and my family, to pass the baton in the financial area into younger hands."
After holding various positions at Südzucker AG, Kölbl has been a member of the executive board since June 2004. Today, he is responsible for controlling, finance, investor relations, legal affairs, purchasing, real estate, insurance and taxes.