The changes were decided at the supervisory board’s meeting on 7 December 2023. Pleßke has been a member of Koenig & Bauer’s management board since 2014 and spokesman for the management board with responsibility for the Special segment since 2021.

A Koenig & Bauer spokesperson told Printweek that by being appointed CEO, Pleßke’s voice “will have more weight within this board”, which speeds up the decision-making processes.

Kimmich has been CFO since 2020. There are no changes to the responsibilities of the other members of the management board, which comprises Christoph Müller, responsible for the Digital and Webfed segment; Ralf Sammeck, responsible for the Sheetfed segment; and COO Michael Ulverich.

Similarly, the contract durations continue to apply unchanged, and the supervisory board has not taken any further decisions regarding the composition of the management board.

Raimund Klinkner, chairman of the supervisory board, said Pleßke and Kimmich had successfully guided the company with their colleagues over the past few years, “some of which have not been easy, and have set a decisive course for the future”.

He added: “I am therefore delighted that this decision will now strengthen both key positions and the roles of the two management board members.”