PRESS RELEASE

Supervisory Board extends contract of CSO Dirk Willers

• Contract of Chief Sales Officer (CSO) Dirk Willers extended through to December 31, 2030
• Helmut P. Merch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board: “We are confident that Dirk Willers, alongside the other members of the Management Board, will successfully steer ElringKlinger AG into the next stage of its transformation.”
• Ulrich Zimmer, new Chief Operating Officer, to start on July 1, 2026

Ahead of the recent Annual General Meeting, the Supervisory Board of ElringKlinger AG extended the contract of Dirk Willers, Chief Sales Officer, until December 31, 2030. In making this decision, the committee has ensured continuity within the Management Board while reinforcing the long-term execution of the strategic transformation agenda under SHAPE30.

Asked to comment, Helmut P. Merch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, stated: “The Supervisory Board is very pleased that we will be able to continue our successful partnership with Dirk Willers. Over the past few years, he has systematically expanded the sales organization while further strengthening the success of both the Aftermarket and Engineered Plastics segments. We are confident that Dirk Willers, alongside the other members of the Management Board, will successfully steer ElringKlinger AG into the next stage of its transformation.”

Dirk Willers has been a Management Board member of the company since October 1, 2023, and is responsible for the Aftermarket and Engineered Plastics segments, in addition to the corporate units of Sales, Marketing and Project Management. Prior to that, he headed the Aftermarket segment for eight years, evolving it into a pillar of stability for the Group in relation to growth and profitability.

In addition, the Group announced at the Annual General Meeting that Ulrich Zimmer will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer at ElringKlinger effective from July 1, 2026. Earlier this year, the company announced that Ulrich Zimmer would assume the responsibilities of Reiner Drews, who had decided, at his own request, not to renew his Management Board contract, which had been set to expire on March 31, 2026. Alongside the corporate units Operations and Purchasing, Ulrich Zimmer will be responsible for the Lightweight/Elastomer Technology and Sealing Solutions & Engineered Metal Components business areas.

About ElringKlinger  

As a global development partner drawing on many years of expertise, ElringKlinger has established itself as one of the leading suppliers to the automotive industry, in addition to serving customers in the plastics engineering and other sectors. Since its inception in 1879, the technology group based in Dettingen/Erms, Germany, has been consistent in its efforts to provide innovative answers to present and future challenges. Today, ElringKlinger is actively shaping the future of sustainable mobility with the help of pioneering product and system solutions tailored to any type of drive platform, alongside sealing and shielding applications as well as lightweighting concepts. With a track record of two decades in the field of cutting-edge battery and fuel cell technology, the Group was at the forefront of establishing itself as an expert in e-mobility. Operating with a dedicated team of around 8,600 #transformationpioneers at around 40 locations worldwide and revenue of approx. EUR 1.6 billion in 2025, ElringKlinger is driving the sustainable transformation of the industry – brimming with passion, talent, and innovation.