The automotive supplier Mahle is restructuring. The Stuttgart-based company is reorganizing its business areas and reducing its management from seven to four members. Mahle announced this on Friday.
Arnd Franz remains CEO, Jumana Al-Sibai, Markus Kapaun and Georg Dietz also remain part of the management. In the future, Al-Sibai will lead the “Thermal and Fluid Systems” division, while Dietz will lead the “Powertrain and Charging” division. Kapaun remains CFO as usual.
Martin Wellhöffer, previously managing director for “Electronics and Mechatronics”, has to hand over his area to Georg Dietz and is leaving the management. However, he will remain with Mahle as Chief Operating Officer in Al-Sibai’s team.
However, the supplier no longer has any use for Beate Bungartz and Martin Weidlich; they are leaving Mahle with immediate effect. It was said that both had “mutually agreed” to a separation.
As HR manager and labor director, Bungartz was in charge of the transformation dialogue with employee representatives Germany initiated. Like many other automotive suppliers, Mahle is saving on staff. Bungartz’s duties will be taken over by CEO Franz until further notice.
During his five years at Mahle, Weidlich was responsible for the “Filtration and Engine Peripherals” division. Those tasks are now carried out in the area of Jumana Al-Sibai.
Business areas restructured
With the conversion, Mahle wants to combine areas with similar production technologies. CEO Franz explained on Friday that the reorganization is intended to accelerate internal collaboration and offer new opportunities to production sites that previously specialized in combustion engines.
At the same time, the company is taking over the thermal management specialist Mahle Behr completely. The supplier had already acquired its first shares in 2010 and most recently held over 75 percent. The purchase price was not disclosed. Thermal management is strategically important for Mahle as it involves technologies for heating and cooling in vehicles, which is particularly relevant for electric cars.
After four years of losses, the automotive supplier Mahle made a profit again in 2023. The net profit was almost 26 million euros. In 2022, Mahle recorded a loss of 332 million euros. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were 304 million euros last year. The foundation company’s sales rose by three percent to over 12.8 billion euros.