Transformation champion new Heidelberg chairman

The world’s biggest press manufacturer Heidelberg has a new chair of its supervisory board, Dr Martin Sonnenschein, who comes from a background of digital transformation.

And in a sign of the changing times, he is the first chairman in Heidelberg history to have his official photo taken without a tie.

Major German companies have two boards: the management board, responsible for the day to day running of the business; and the supervisory board, to which the management board looks for advice and guidance.

Dr Sonnenschein has exactly the background that Heidelberg wants in its push to digital transformation. He is partner and managing director of the management consultancy AT Kearney, responsible for some of the most important clients in industry and services across Europe. In recent years, he has successfully implemented a variety of large digital transformation programs and industrial growth and innovation projects around the world, focusing on operational improvements and new business models.

The Karlsruhe graduate industrial engineer has also held management positions at Daimler-Benz InterServices, E-Plus Mobilfunk, and ThyssenKrupp.

Sonnenschein said, "Now is the time to seize the opportunities offered by digitisation, technological change and new customer requirements. The current economic situation is making it more difficult. The demands on expanding expertise, speed of change and innovation are high. Profitability must increase in order to have scope for the transformation that has begun and for new markets. With the Heidelberg spirit of the entire team, we will successfully shape these massive changes.”

Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of Heidelberg, said, "Dr Sonnenschein has many years of comprehensive industrial expertise in the areas of strategy and transformation that are important to Heidelberg. He has successfully implemented growth projects around the world that have focused not only on important strategic decisions but also on digitisation and increasing profitability. Thanks to his management experience, he will play a valuable role in being a sparring partner for us.”