Dr. Rolf Wirtz handed over the CEO position of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to Oliver Burkhard on May 01 as planned. Wirtz had informed the segment's Supervisory Board early on in December 2021 of his decision not to extend his expiring contract any further, thus enabling thyssenkrupp to ensure a structured and orderly handover.
In an extraordinary meeting on March 18, 2022 the Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems had appointed its former Chairman Oliver Burkhard as the new CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
Modern marine company
As CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine System since 2017, Dr. Rolf Wirtz has gradually expanded the company into a systems house and driven forward the integration of ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, of which he was previously CEO. With the consistent digitisation of purchasing through design to production, Wirtz has initiated the transformation into Europe's most modern marine company.
Wirtz has initiated the transformation into Europe's most modern marine company
Martina Merz, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG, said "thyssenkrupp and I personally would like to thank Dr. Rolf Wirtz very much for his achievements at the helm of Marine Systems. With a strong team he initiated the turnaround of the company. In addition, orders such as the German-Norwegian submarine project and the Egyptian frigate program were successfully negotiated by our side with him at the helm."
Helm of Marine Systems
With the largest order in its history, the construction and delivery of six identical Type 212CD submarines for Norway's and Germany's navies, as well as further orders for Israel, Egypt, and Brazil, the company has well-filled order books for the coming years.
Dr. Rolf Wirtz said, "The decision not to run again as CEO for five years was not easy for me, as I am very attached to the company. But the ship is on a clear course and I am convinced that its excellent team will continue to be very successful. I look forward to continuing to play my part as a consultant."