DGAP-News: KION's head of communications Michael Hauger is leaving the MDAX-listed group after 15 successful years

KION's head of communications Michael Hauger is leaving the MDAX-listed group after 15 successful years

- Chief Executive Officer Gordon Riske: "Michael Hauger has played a key role in shaping the Group's excellent global reputation, the perception of its brands and its corporate culture, and has been an important advisor to the Executive Board and executives"

Frankfurt am Main, December 31, 2021 - The long-serving global head of corporate communications at KION GROUP AG, Michael Hauger (53), will be leaving the intralogistics solutions provider on 31 March 2022. He joined what is now the MDAX-listed group in 2007, shortly after the KION Group was spun off from Linde AG and sold to private equity, and built up the communications function. Over the past 15 years, during which he worked closely with outgoing CEO Gordon Riske, he has led the multi-brand group's internal, external, and digital communications, public affairs, and brand management, and has established integrated communications across the Group. Until the end of March, Hauger will provide communications support to the new CEO Rob Smith in his initial phase.

"On behalf of the entire company, I would like to sincerely thank Michael Hauger for his exceptionally strong and loyal commitment to the KION Group. He has played a major role in shaping the Group's excellent global reputation among its stakeholders, the perception of its brands and our corporate culture worldwide," said Gordon Riske, Chief Executive Officer of KION GROUP AG. "With his broad, international communications experience, his deep understanding of the business, and his analytical, calm manner, he has been an important advisor to me personally, to the entire Executive Board, and to many executives worldwide at all stages of the development of our Group."

During his time with the company, Hauger managed the communication of the group during the challenging global financial crisis of 2008/09 as well as the communication of the partnership with the Chinese anchor investor Weichai Power, the successful IPO in 2013 and numerous global acquisitions. He accompanied the transformation from a European forklift manufacturer to a global provider of automated supply chain solutions and was the driver of internal change communications and of the development of shared KION values as the basis of a worldwide corporate culture.

"After three decades in corporate communications and more recently 15 extraordinarily exciting, intensive and fulfilling years at the helm of KION's communications function, the CEO change is the right time for me to reorientate in my professional career," said Michael Hauger.

The KION Group will inform about a successor later.

The Company

The KION Group is among the world's leading suppliers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions. Its portfolio encompasses industrial trucks, such as forklift trucks and warehouse trucks, as well as integrated automation technology and software solutions for the optimization of supply chains, including all related services. Across more than 100 countries worldwide, the KION Group's solutions improve the flow of material and information within factories, warehouses, and distribution centers.

The Group, which is included in the MDAX, is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in Europe in terms of units sold in 2020. In China, it is the leading foreign manufacturer (as measured by revenue in 2020). The KION Group is also one of the world's leading providers of warehouse automation (as measured by revenue in 2019).

At the end of 2020, around 1.6 million of the KION Group's industrial trucks and over 8,000 of its installed systems were in use by customers of various sizes and in numerous industries on six continents. The Group currently has around 40,000 employees and generated revenue of €8.3 billion in 2020.

Current KION Group images can be found in our image database at https://mediacenter.kiongroup.com/categories and on the websites of our various brands.

(mh)

Disclaimer

This release and the information contained herein are for information purposes only and do not constitute a prospectus or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Future results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, e.g. changes in business, economic and competitive conditions (including with respect to further developments in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic), regulatory reforms, results of technical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. We do not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Further information for the media

Michael Hauger
Senior Vice President Corporate Communications
Tel: +49 (0)69 201 107 655
Mobile: +49 (0)151 1686 5550
[email protected]

Frank Grodzki
Senior Director External Communications & Group Newsroom
Tel: +49 (0)69 201 107 496
Mobile: +49 (0)151 6526 2916
[email protected]

Further information for investors

Sebastian Ubert
Vice President Investor Relations
Tel: +49 (0)69 201 107 329
[email protected]