Festo appoints new chairman for its Management Board, Thomas Böck

Thomas Böck is succeeding Oliver Jung as head of the Management Board of Festo, the family-owned global automation-technology leader, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Effective Jan. 1, The Festo Group – the global parent company of automation-technology manufacturer Festo Canada – will have a new chairman of its Management Board, Thomas Böck. He replaces Oliver Jung, who has served the company in an extremely successful run in the position for the past five years.

The Management Board that Böck will chair is the senior executive team tasked with overseeing the global operations and strategic development of the corporation.

Former CEO of CLAAS

“I am very much looking forward to contributing my experience to Festo,” said Böck, as quoted in a Festo press release. “Together with the Festo team, we will keep the value-oriented, family-owned company on course for success and promote its further development.”

Böck, 52, was most recently Chief Executive Officer and, before that, Chief Technology Officer of CLAAS, a family-owned, German-based leading global producer of high-end agricultural equipment. His tenure as former chairman of the CLAAS Group Management Board has given him ample experience in implementing an international growth strategy in a high-technology environment. Notably, Böck was responsible for the holistic digital transformation of CLASS, from development to production and sales.

Jung, 61, began his term as Festo Management Board chairman in Nov. 2018 and oversaw the targeted expansion of the company’s international footprint along the value chain, particularly in North America, China, and India. He significantly boosted proximity to the customer as the basis of the future viability of Festo in this way. Jung helped to strengthen the financial independence of Festo and boost its resilience under his leadership, and the Supervisory Board and owners of the company expressed regret at his decision to leave the company.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved to date at Festo together with our employees,” said Jung in the same release. “I wish Mr. Böck all the best for the ongoing development of the company.

“Personally, I will continue to feel closely connected to the Festo family in the future,” Jung added.

Festo remains the leading worldwide supplier of automation technology and technical education.

For more information, contact Festo.

• Tweet