Monday, July 1, 2024
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With the change at the highest level of the organisation, the fourth generation of the Kufferath family will take over the reins of the GKD Group. Lara Kufferath will succeed her father, Dr Stephan Kufferath, and her uncle, Ingo Kufferath, who have led the company since 1983. Starting in July, she will be the first CEO in GKD Group history to run the company under a hybrid executive model, alongside Dr Daniel Holstein (CTOO) and Ilonka von Bodman (CFO).
Lara Kufferath has been a member of the Management Board since 2021, most recently holding responsibility for the company’s digital transformation and innovation processes. Under her leadership, the GKD Group will continue to focus keenly on the topics of digitalization, internationalization, and sustainability. At the same time, Lara Kufferath has her sights set on doubling the Group’s global sales revenues by 2027.
Lara Kufferath: “I’m really looking forward to continuing the great work my family has done for the company over the years and to steering the GKD Group toward a sustainable and strong future. As an owner-run family business, it has always been our aspiration to act with foresight. We wish to make our own contribution to making our world healthier, cleaner, and safer with innovative products and responsible corporate action.”
Lara Kufferath has been closely linked to the family company and the wire weaving operations since early childhood. However, it was only after beginning her career outside the company that she truly realized her desire to help develop the company and assume responsibility. Lara Kufferath completed her master’s degree at the European Business School in Oestrich Winkel and was then able to gain overseas experience during placements in Copenhagen and New York. Her first job was working for AGCO, an agricultural equipment group. After this, she spent several years working for Swiss corporate consultancy Helbing Business Advisors. In 2019, she then came home to join the family company as Head of Corporate Development.
With Lara Kufferath assuming her new role, the generational transition on the Management Board at GKD is now complete. The new Management Board team also comprises Ilonka von Bodman (51) and Dr. Daniel Holstein (55). Boasting extensive international management experience, Ilonka von Bodman took up her position as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in Düren in March this year. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Daniel Holstein, who had previously worked for both Thyssenkrupp and Hörmann Automotive, was given the executive mandate for Technology & Production as Chief Technical & Operations Officer (CTOO). The family business, which will be celebrating its centenary in 2025, therefore ranks among the very few companies in Germany with a predominantly female Management Board.
Dr. Stephan Kufferath: “I obviously wish Lara lots of luck and every success. I also feel certain that the future of our company is in safe hands with her. She has the full support of the family, and we’ll also remain at her side in future on the Supervisory Board.“
Dr. Stephan Kufferath, who has been at the helm of the GKD Group with his brother Ingo since the 1980s, will be moving to the Supervisory Board in July. Together, Stephan and Ingo Kufferath have developed a modest regional industrial firm in Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia, into a globally operating company with facilities in Germany, the US, Chile, South Africa, India, and China. Their leadership saw GKD become a world leader in various filter and technical weave applications. Additionally, in the 1990s, they were instrumental in introducing metal fabric as a new design material for architecture.
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