Klaus Hofer becomes the new head of personnel reporting directly to the chief executive officer and personnel director, Bernhard Schreier.

Hofer, a qualified lawyer, says, “My primary objective is to use modern personnel management systems that are tailored to the company’s strategic and operational goals in order to reinforce the long-term competitiveness of Heidelberg and extend its leading position in the industry.

Hofer’s predecessor, Bernd Lang, will lead the team negotiating personnel changes linked to the cost-cutting. On completion of these negotiations, he will retire. Since joining the company in 1976, Lang has held several senior positions in the personnel section at Heidelberg, including over 20 years as head of personnel.

Heidelberg says that Lang shaped its personnel section to match the needs of an international mechanical engineering company and global market leader, and oversaw the introduction of the new framework wage agreement and the conclusion of two agreements for safeguarding the future of Heidelberg that were signed by the company, the workforce and labour unions. Lang is also an honorary judge at the German Federal Labour Court in Erfurt.

Bernhard Schreier, chief executive officer Heidelberg, says, “We would like to thank Bernd Lang for the many years of committed and successful service he has given our company. His well-balanced personnel management skills helped to lay the groundwork for the growth that Heidelberg has enjoyed over the past three decades.”

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