ElringKlinger appoints Ulrich Zimmer as Chief Operating Officer

PRESS RELEASE

ElringKlinger appoints Ulrich Zimmer as Chief Operating Officer

• Zimmer is to succeed Reiner Drews as Chief Operating Officer, who will leave on March 31, 2026
• Zimmer's responsibilities on the Management Board will cover three business units, the corporate units relating to production and supply chains, and the area of Innovation and R&D
• Zimmer is due to take up his new post in the course of 2026

The Supervisory Board of ElringKlinger AG (ISIN DE0007856023 / WKN 785602) has appointed Ulrich Zimmer to the Group Management Board. Zimmer will take on the responsibilities of Reiner Drews, who is stepping down from the Management Board at his own request upon completion of his contract following a successful 19-year tenure at ElringKlinger. As Chief Operating Officer, Ulrich Zimmer will oversee the Lightweighting/Elastomer Technology, Metal Sealing Systems & Drivetrain Components, and Metal Forming & Assembly Technology business units, in addition to the corporate units Production, Quality, Purchasing, Real Estate, and Supply Chain Management as well as the area of Innovation and R&D.

Helmut P. Merch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ElringKlinger AG, emphasizes: "In Ulrich Zimmer we are gaining a dynamic executive with many years of exceptional expertise in the automotive industry. Given his experience, we are confident that he will optimize the Group's operational processes in an efficient and targeted manner, in addition to contributing to our further transformation when it comes to developing innovative products. In an industry undergoing profound change, these activities are essential building blocks for ElringKlinger's continued success."

Ulrich Zimmer (55) currently holds the position of Senior Vice President R&D at Traton SE within the Volkswagen Group and is responsible for Traton's German R&D sites in his role as Managing Director. Among his accomplishments in this capacity is the establishment of a global R&D organization in the field of electromobility. Prior to this, Ulrich Zimmer headed Powertrain production at MAN Truck & Bus SE for six years. Before joining MAN in 2017, he held management positions at Daimler Truck for many years. In this context, he was also responsible for large-scale production units with complex operational processes at various sites. He will take on his new responsibilities at ElringKlinger in the course of 2026.

Ulrich Zimmer holds a degree in physics from Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen and has successfully completed leadership programs at IMD Lausanne, ESMT Berlin, IESE Barcelona, and HEC Paris.

About ElringKlinger  

As a global development partner drawing on many years of expertise, ElringKlinger has established itself as one of the leading suppliers to the automotive industry, in addition to serving customers in the plastics engineering and other sectors. Since its inception in 1879, the technology group based in Dettingen/Erms, Germany, has been consistent in its efforts to provide innovative answers to present and future challenges. Today, ElringKlinger is actively shaping the future of sustainable mobility with the help of pioneering product and system solutions tailored to any type of drive platform, alongside sealing and shielding applications as well as lightweighting concepts. With a track record of two decades in the field of cutting-edge battery and fuel cell technology, the Group was at the forefront of establishing itself as an expert in e-mobility. Operating with a dedicated team of around 9,000 #transformationpioneers at over 40 locations worldwide and revenue of approx. EUR 1.8 billion in 2024, ElringKlinger is driving the sustainable transformation of the industry – brimming with passion, talent, and innovation.