Press release
Sebastian Dettmers to hand over CEO role at Stepstone after 15 years: Christian Schmalzl appointed successor

• Dr. Sebastian Dettmers to step down as CEO of The Stepstone Group after 15 years with the company and more than six years at its helm
• Christian Schmalzl, previously Co-CEO of Ströer, appointed as successor, effective September 1^st, 2026
• Dettmers led Stepstone's transformation from a European job board into a leading HR technology group operating across Europe and the US
• Leadership transition agreed jointly by Dettmers and shareholders; Dettmers remains fully in role through the summer to ensure an orderly handover

DUESSELDORF, May 28^th, 2026 — The Stepstone Group today announced a leadership transition: Dr. Sebastian Dettmers will hand over the role of CEO after 15 years with the company and more than six years at its helm. Christian Schmalzl will succeed him as CEO effective September 1^st, 2026. Dettmers will continue to lead Stepstone through the summer and ensure an orderly handover.

Dettmers joined Stepstone in 2011 as Managing Director for Germany, the company’s largest market, and has served as CEO since January 2020. Under his leadership, Stepstone evolved from a European job board into a leading HR technology group with operations across Europe and the US. He led a comprehensive transformation of the company’s business model, strengthened its technology and platform capabilities, and significantly expanded its revenue base.

Christian Schmalzl joins Stepstone from Ströer, where he served as Co-CEO. He brings extensive experience in scaling digital platform businesses, building high-performance organizations, and leading companies through periods of transformation and growth.

“Building Stepstone over the past 15 years has been the defining experience of my career. Together with an exceptional team, we transformed the company from a leading job board into a leading HR technology group. After this phase of transformation, now is the right moment to hand over to a new leader for the company’s next chapter. I am grateful to Axel Springer, KKR, and CPPIB for their partnership and trust, and I am confident that Christian is the right leader to take Stepstone forward”, says Dr. Sebastian Dettmers.

“I am deeply grateful to Sebastian for his extraordinary contribution to Stepstone. Over 15 years, and especially as CEO, he has profoundly shaped the company. He led Stepstone through a fundamental transformation and built a strong platform for the future. At the same time, he has built a highly capable team across Stepstone, which will be a key strength for the company going forward. Sebastian and the shareholders have jointly agreed that this is the right moment for a leadership transition, and I wish him the very best. I am also delighted to welcome Christian Schmalzl as his successor and look forward to working with him on Stepstone's continued development”, says Dr. Julian Deutz, CEO AS Classifieds.

“Stepstone has been transformed into a leading HR technology group with an exceptional team and strong market positions. That foundation is exactly what excites me about this opportunity. The labour market is evolving rapidly, and Stepstone is well positioned to shape how companies and candidates find each other. I look forward to working with the team to turn that potential into growth”, says Christian Schmalzl.

About The Stepstone Group 
The Stepstone Group is a leading global digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job. Every year, AI-driven job marketplaces and programmatic-powered marketing solutions connect more than 130 million job applications with employers’ open positions. The Stepstone Group works with about 70,000 customers and operates in more than 10 countries - including Stepstone in Germany, Appcast in the USA and Totaljobs in the UK. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany and employs about 3,000 people worldwide. For more information: www.thestepstonegroup.com/english

Contact
The Stepstone Group Media Relations
press@stepstone.com