Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG augments its Board of Directors
§ Hamburg manufacturer of the brands MEYLE and MEYLE-HD creates two new Board Positions
§ André Sobottka joins the Board for Sales, Marketing and Communications, Michael Knopf for Company Organization, IT and New Business Fields
Hamburg, 26 May 2015. On 1 July 2015, André Sobottka will be changing from Federal-Mogul to Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG to join the Board of Directors and will be responsible for Sales, Marketing and Communications. At the same time Michael Knopf, fully authorized representative of the company, will also be joining the Board of Directors. He will be responsible for the division, Company Organization, IT and New Business Fields.
André Sobottka, 48, is to be appointed to the Board of Directors at Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG. As of July 1, 2015, Sobottka will assume responsibility for Sales, Marketing and Communications on the Board, a role previously allocated to the Chairman of the Board. He is an expert in his field with many years of extensive experience in the Automotive Aftermarket and is the ideal choice to lead the Sales division at the Hamburg company. He has gained vast experience in his career including leading positions at Philips, Honeywell and also Federal-Mogul – where he was Managing Director North Europe. André Sobottka lives near to Hamburg, is married and has one son.
„We are very pleased to have André Sobottka in our management team. His expertise in the field of Sales and Automotive Aftermarket will provide important support for the next growth phase of our company“, said Dr. Karl J. Gaertner, Chairman of the Board at Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG.
On 1 July, Michael Knopf, 42, will also be appointed to the Board of Directors. Knopf, who up to now has been a fully authorized representative of the company, will take over the new division of Company Organization, IT and New Business Fields. Michael Knopf has been working at Wulf Gaertner Autoparts for over seven years. He was responsible for the successful implementation of the new IT strategy based on SAP and for the implementation of our process-oriented organizational structure. He is an experienced process, organizational and ERP expert. Before joining Wulf Gaertner Autoparts, Knopf worked at IDS Scheer AG and Eppendorf AG. His appointment ensures that Wulf Gaertner Autoparts can expand as a competent service company to meet the requirements of its customers. Michael Knopf is married and lives near Hamburg. „After the appointment of Marita Schwartze in 2011, we have again appointed a reliable and successful manager from our company to the Board: Michael Knopf“, said Dr. Karl J. Gaertner.
Exactly 20 years ago, Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG acquired the brand, MEYLE, completing the successful transition from exporter to trading house, with its own brands and its own production. The company has recorded significant increases in turnover with its core brand over the last five years. „With the two-digit percentage growth rate per year follows the organization and development of our company. We intend to progress and not stand still“, explained Dr. Karl J. Gaertner. „We look forward to working together with André Sobottka and to welcoming Michael Knopf to our team on the Board.“
About the Company
Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG develops, produces and sells top-quality and quality-certified spare parts for cars, vans and trucks for the independent aftermarket under the brands of MEYLE and MEYLE-HD. The Hamburg manufacturer’s portfolio currently includes more than 18,500 articles, covering practically every requirement on the market. Engineers at the company also focus on products and services which can improve processes within the workshop. The MEYLE engineers have developed around 750 parts for thousands of different vehicle models and have technically optimised such parts compared to those made by the original equipment manufacturers. These MEYLE-HD products are extremely resilient and have a long service life. There is a four-year warranty on the unique feature of technically improved MEYLE-HD parts.
Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company operates in 120 countries. In addition to its state-of-the-art logistics centre in Hamburg, the company also operates subsidiaries and production sites worldwide.
You can download the press releases and press photos at www.meyle.com or order them as a file.
Contact:
Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG, Annika Fuchs, Tel: +49 40 67506-519, E-Mail: