Succession in the top management at Wakol

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Succession in the top management at Wakol

Dr. Martin Schäfer and Martin Eichel take over the management of the Wakol Group

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Wakol has completed the long-prepared internal change at the top management level as of 1 March 2024. The two Managing Directors Dr Martin Schäfer and Martin Eichel will jointly succeed Mr Christian Groß. The former Managing Director and member of the founding Groß family is leaving the Pirmasens-based adhesives and sealants specialist Wakol as planned after 27 very successful years.

Succession from within our own ranks

As Chairman of the Management Board, Dr Schäfer will also assume responsibility for the Flooring Materials division and the companies in the DACH region. His deputy Martin Eichel will also be responsible for the international activities of the subsidiaries and holdings as well as the internal sales, marketing and product management departments. His future management responsibilities will also include the Industrial Adhesives and Sealing Compounds business areas. He will be supported here by Stephane Moulin, who has been in charge of these areas for many years and represents them on the Management Board. Mr Steffen Acker completes the management team. Mr Acker has been Director at Wakol since 2013 and is responsible for the areas of production, logistics and plant management.

Stability and reliability for customers and employees

‘Our long-standing cooperation and the trust of our customers are based on stability and reliability. Together we will continue the successful development of the Wakol Group. We are looking forward to the new tasks and are confident that we will also successfully master the challenges of the near future,’ says Dr Martin Schäfer. Dr Schäfer has been with Wakol for 18 years, most recently as Director of Development, Application Technology and Procurement. In addition, he has headed the Industrial & Flooring Adhesives R&D corporate unit in the ARDEX Group since 2015.

Mr Eichel has been with Wakol since 2018 and, as Commercial Director, is responsible for Finance, Controlling, Legal, IT and Human Resources. He can look back on a total of twelve years with the ARDEX Group. Most recently, he headed the ARDEX Group's global M&A and integration management departments at the headquarters in Witten until his move to Wakol. ‘Our strategic orientation and the strengthening of our cooperation with both our subsidiary LOBA and the global ARDEX Group enable us to remain flexible. This will enable us to operate successfully even in a challenging economic environment,’ explains Martin Eichel.

‘For Wakol and its employees, being part of the large ARDEX family means security, consistency, sustainable growth and the further development of our outstanding products for our customers,’ adds Steffen Acker.

Wakol Group remains independent within the ARDEX Group

‘With this internal succession solution, we are ensuring continuity for customers and employees,’ emphasises the departing Christian Groß. He joined Wakol in 1997 and had a lasting impact on the company. Under his leadership, Wakol has developed into a group of companies with a turnover of around €150 million (2023).

Even after the complete takeover of all shares, the Wakol Group and its subsidiaries in Germany and abroad will remain an independent group of companies within the ARDEX Group. ‘It is extremely important for a family business to determine successors at an early stage, ideally from within its own ranks, in order to secure our corporate culture and success factors in the long term. We have succeeded in doing this well here and we are pleased that Christian Groß will continue to be available to us as a valued contact person,’ said Mark Eslamlooy, CEO of the ARDEX Group, at the farewell ceremony.