GEA Group AG’s Supervisory Board has resolved to appoint Klaus Stojentin as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Stefan Klebert, who will step down at his own request and by mutual agreement following the conclusion of the 2027 Annual General Meeting on April 28, 2027. The leadership change, announced by NEWMEDIAWIRE, will take effect on April 29, 2027, and also includes related changes to the Executive Board. The news matters for investors and the wider engineering sector because GEA has become a bellwether for industrial transformation in Europe, and the handover is designed to preserve the company’s strategic direction after more than eight years of growth under Klebert.
Klebert, 61, took over as CEO in February 2019 at a challenging time and led a fundamental transformation of GEA, integrating sustainability as a core pillar of its corporate strategy. Under his leadership, the company continuously increased order intake, revenue, profitability, and market capitalization, while raising its guidance several times. GEA also achieved key milestones of its corporate and climate strategies ahead of schedule, and in September 2025 it joined the DAX40, becoming the first and, to date, only pure-play machinery and plant engineering company to do so. His contract had been due to run until the end of 2028, but he informed the Supervisory Board of his wish to end it early to complete an orderly transition after the successful restructuring of the Executive Board at the beginning of the year. He will remain CEO until the Annual General Meeting and fully support the transition process.
The Supervisory Board has appointed Klaus Stojentin, 59, for a five-year term. Stojentin holds a degree in Energy and Utilities Supply Engineering and has been with the Group since 2003. He is currently a member of the Executive Board and CEO of the Nutrition Plant Engineering Division, and previously led GEA’s separator business, now part of the Pure Flow Processing Division. “With Klaus Stojentin, another successful and dynamic leader will take over,” said Prof. Dieter Kempf, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “He has known GEA for 23 years, both from the perspective of an engineer and a strategist and manager. He has successfully led two divisions and will continue to drive GEA forward on its successful trajectory.”
In a related move, Dr. Andreas Seeringer, 46, who has led GEA’s Farm Technologies Division since 2024, will join the Executive Board for a three-year term and succeed Stojentin as CEO of the Nutrition Plant Engineering Division. Seeringer has been with GEA since 2013. The changes underscore GEA’s focus on internal succession and operational continuity. For readers in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, GEA is a critical supplier of systems and components: every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines is produced by GEA, and every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget is processed with GEA technology. With more than 18,000 employees and revenues of about EUR 5.5 billion in fiscal year 2025 across more than 150 countries, the company’s leadership stability carries weight for global supply chains.
Klebert said the formation and onboarding of a new, ambitious Executive Board team in January 2026 made now the right time to hand over leadership. “With Klaus Stojentin, my preferred successor is now taking over. He knows our company like few others do,” Klebert said. Stojentin said he looks forward to the new role and wants to build on the foundation established in recent years and continue to drive GEA’s successful development. The transition is unlikely to alter GEA’s strategic priorities, but it places a clear spotlight on the depth of the company’s management bench and its ability to maintain momentum in a challenging global industrial environment.
