The supervisory board of voestalpine AG has appointed Carola Richter as head of the company’s metal forming division with effect from 1 April 2024. This marks a historic step, as Richter will become the first woman to join the six-member management board of voestalpine AG.
She will be contracted to the role for three years, as is common in such first-time appointments. Richter succeeds Peter Schwab, who will not be renewing his term of office for personal reasons after ten years on the management board and will cease his activity on 31 March 2024.
The metal forming division, with production sites in Europe, North and South America, China and South Africa as well as approximately 12,000 employees, is the voestalpine Group’s centre of excellence for highly refined sections, tubes and precision strip steel products. It also specialises in ready-to-install system components made of pressed, stamped and roll-formed parts. This makes it one of the world’s leading suppliers in particular niche markets, such as the automotive industry with lightweight components, solar/PV mounting systems in the energy industry and solutions for the warehousing industry.
Richter, an internationally successful manager, will lead the division from 1 April next year.
Wolfgang Eder, chairman of the supervisory board of voestalpine AG, commented:
“Having gained decades of experience, Carola knows the diverse challenges present in the industry – including beyond the borders of Europe. In her previous position, she played a key role in shaping a leading global company over many years. The supervisory board is confident that Carola will also bring fresh momentum to the helm of the metal forming division with her competence and experience. I am pleased to welcome her to the management board of voestalpine AG and wish her, as well as the entire metal forming team, all the best and every success.”
Richter herself said:
“I am very much looking forward to preparing the metal forming division, including its management team and staff, for the technological challenges of the future. Two key areas of focus in my work will be consistently focusing on the customer segments crucial to us as well as further decarbonising our value chain. I would like to thank you for the trust you have placed in me, and I am eagerly looking forward to my start in April.”
Richter brings an impressive track record, having been in the industrial sector for more than 20 years, specialising in Asia. Richter was last employed in management positions for chemicals company BASF for over two decades, including more than ten years outside Europe. Her experience extends across various industries such as energy, transport, consumer goods and construction.
During her tenure at BASF, she headed up operational units and was responsible for profitability evaluation of investments and strategic optimisation of the business’ value chains. Beginning in 2019, she has served as the regional president overseeing the Asia/Pacific growth region, based in Hong Kong, and most recently in Singapore. In addition to her operational responsibility for the local companies and production sites in the region, her work has also focused on sustainability transformation, talent management and developing strategic customer relationships.
Richter studied at the University of Heidelberg and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, completing a PhD in the field of high-energy physics. She is married and will relocate from Singapore to Linz, Austria.
Richter’s appointment represents an additional step in the direction of diversity and gender equality at voestalpine AG’s senior leadership level.
