wienerberger, a leading international provider of innovative, ecological solutions for the entire building envelope and infrastructure, announced today that Heimo Scheuch is stepping down as CEO for personal health reasons with immediate effect. After more than 17 years at the helm, Scheuch asked the Supervisory Board to accept the early termination of his mandate. The board has accepted his decision and appointed Gerhard Hanke, Chief Operating Officer Central & East and Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board, as Interim CEO. The company is now conducting a structured search for a permanent successor.
Scheuch, who has been with wienerberger for thirty years and served as CEO since 2009, led the company through a fundamental strategic transformation from a traditional brick manufacturer into a leading international provider of innovative and ecological building material and infrastructure solutions across Europe and North America. Under his leadership, wienerberger significantly expanded its geographic footprint and built a strong position in water and energy infrastructure alongside its core building envelope business. The company now employs more than 20,000 people and generated revenues of EUR 4.6 billion with an operating EBITDA of approximately EUR 754 million in 2025.
Peter Steiner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the board, stating, "When he took the helm in 2009, wienerberger was a brick manufacturer. Today, it is a leading international group with more than 20,000 employees, a resilient business model spanning the entire building envelope and infrastructure, and a clear sustainability agenda. This successful transformation is his achievement. We deeply respect his decision to prioritize his health, and we wish him a full and swift recovery."
Gerhard Hanke brings more than 25 years of experience at wienerberger to his new role. He served as CFO from 2021 to 2025, has been COO Central & East since March 2025, and has served as Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board since June 2026. The responsibilities of Dagmar Steinert (CFO) and Harald Schwarzmayr (COO West) remain unchanged. Steiner noted, "Gerhard Hanke is an experienced, deeply trusted leader who knows every dimension of wienerberger. With him, we are well positioned to ensure continuity and pursue our goals while we conduct a thorough search for the right successor."
Scheuch said, "wienerberger has been my home for thirty years – from my first days as an assistant to leading this group as CEO. I would like to thank our customers, business partners and shareholders as well as the Supervisory Board, my fellow Managing Board members, and the global wienerberger team for their trust and commitment over the past years. We have achieved a great deal together, and I am proud of every step. I had looked forward to continuing as CEO as planned, but the time has come to focus on my health. I am leaving the company in the best possible hands and have no doubt that wienerberger will continue its success story."
This leadership change comes at a critical time for wienerberger as it continues to focus on sustainable building solutions and infrastructure. The company is scheduled to present its results for the second quarter and first half of 2026 on 12 August 2026, as planned. The interim CEO's deep familiarity with the company's operations and strategy is expected to ensure a smooth transition while the search for a permanent CEO is underway.
For more information, visit the original release at NewMediaWire.
