voestalpine: Metal Engineering Division reorganized and with expanded Management Board

10 October 2018 |

It was just a few weeks ago that the Metal Engineering Division of the voestalpine Group bundled its competencies in rails, turnouts, and signaling technology under the Railway Systems brand, positioning itself as a global full-service provider for fully-digital railway lines. Now comes the merger of the other business segments within the division—wire, seamless tubes, and welding technology—under the Industrial Systems brand. As a consequence of this reorganization, the division’s Management Board team, led by Franz Kainersdorfer, has been expanded to include two long-term voestalpine managers: Dieter Fritz, formerly head of the Turnout Systems business segment, and Günter Neureiter, to date Head of Welding Consumables, are moving up to become members of the divisional Management Board. The Metal Engineering Division has its headquarters in Leoben-Donawitz, Austria.

By bundling our divisional competencies into the new Railway Systems and Industrial Systems business units we are more strongly positioning ourselves on the market as a complete system solutions provider to the most demanding industry segments. Internally this reorganization allows us to heighten synergies in research and development, as well as sales and marketing, more efficiently.

Franz Kainersdorfer, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the Metal Engineering Division

As the international market and technology leader for complete railway infrastructure systems, around 7,000 employees working under the voestalpine Railway Systems umbrella generated revenue of EUR 1.4 billion during the past business year. This newly created brand is under the leadership of Franz Kainersdorfer who will be working together with Management Board member Dieter Fritz to drive the strategic development of the brand. After joining the voestalpine Group in 1980, Fritz began his career in logistics, construction, and development and advanced to become Head of the Turnout Systems business unit. Several years spent abroad with the Group have taken him to the USA and Australia; a highlight of his achievements has been the successful internationalization of the turnouts business.

The Industrial Systems technology portfolio includes premium wires for the automotive industry, high-tech seamless tubes for oil and gas exploration, and high-quality welding consumables. During the business year 2017/18 the new organizational unit, which is now under the management of Günter Neureiter on the division’s board, generated total revenue of EUR 1.5 billion with a workforce of 5,200 employees. Neureiter began his career in 1990, at voestalpine Turnout Systems, subsequently gaining extensive experience at voestalpine Group sites in the USA and Germany. In 2012 he became head of the Welding Consumables business unit where he was responsible for its reorientation. In addition to Industrial Systems, Neureiter also takes on board responsibility for the entire Metal Engineering Division’s central marketing and digitalization agenda.

Hubert Possegger, member of the Management Board of the division since 2014, left this position of his own accord for health reasons at the end of September. His responsibilities, including Legal, Mergers & Acquisitions, Compliance, as well as Health & Safety, will be taken over by Franz Kainersdorfer and Martin Reisetbauer, CFO of the division. Consequently, as of October 1, 2018, the Management Board of the Metal Engineering Division comprises Franz Kainersdorfer (Chairman), Martin Reisetbauer (CFO), Dieter Fritz, and Günter Neureiter.

Metal Engineering Division

The voestalpine Metal Engineering Division is the global market leader in railway infrastructure systems and associated signaling technology (railway systems). With its business unit Industrial Systems the division is also the European market leader in quality wire and a leading provider of tubulars and high-quality welding consumables. Customer segments include the railway infrastructure industry, the oil & gas industry, the mechanical engineering and automotive industries, as well as the construction industry. In the business year 2017/18 the division and its Railway Systems and Industrial Systems business units generated revenue of around EUR 3 billion, of which over 40 percent was generated outside Europe. The division, with around 13,500 employees worldwide, generated an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 372 million.