People in composites: December 2023

Dieffenbacher announces developments in management team

Following a long-planned succession plan, German machine and plant manufacturer Dieffenbacher (Eppingen) is changing the responsibilities and composition of its management board effective Jan. 1, 2024. With the appointment of Dieffenbacher shareholder Lukas Langer to the management team, it will grow from three to four members. Langer will take over the position of CFO from Volker Kitzelmann, who will continue as a member of the Dieffenbacher management board. The responsibilities of CEO Christian Dieffenbacher and CTO Lothar Fischer remain unchanged.

Langer joined Dieffenbacher in February 2021 and has since assumed responsibilities for HR and IT across the group. He also played a key role in shaping the acquisition process for Dieffenbacher  Energy GmbH in 2022 and 2023 and subsequently establishing the company’s new Energy business unit. After studying business administration at the University of Mannheim (B.Sc.) as well as at the London School of Economics and Yale University (M.Sc.), Langer initially worked for 5 years in purchasing for steel and body parts at what is now Mercedes-Benz AG and on the strategy team for the board of management with a focus on production.

“I am proud to be following in the footsteps of my grandfather Albert Dieffenbacher, who ran the company together with his cousin Gerhard from 1952 to 1985 in the third generation, and my uncle Axel Dieffenbacher, who was part of the management team from 1997 to 2012,” says Langer. “I am very much looking forward to my new role and, above all, to working even more closely with Christian, Lothar Fischer and Volker Kitzelmann on the management board.”

Kitzelmann has held various positions at Dieffenbacher for more than 35 years. He started in January 1988 as head of controlling before taking over the management of the entire commercial department in 1993. Additionally, he became head of the Wood business unit in 2005. In March 2016, Kitzelmann joined the management board as CFO and was responsible for the finance and controlling, auditing, legal and HR departments. In the new composition of the Dieffenbacher management board, Kitzelmann’s role will include, among other duties, overall responsibility for the Energy business unit, which was founded at the beginning of 2023.

“Lukas Langer and I have used the past three years to prepare for the handover of responsibility and my duties as CFO in the best possible way,” says Kitzelmann. “During that time, I got to know and appreciate him very well, both personally and professionally. This makes me all the more happy to pass the baton to him.”

 

STRUCTeam welcomes principal material scientist and executive director

STRUCTeam Ltd. (Cowes, U.K.), an independent composites engineering consultancy, has appointed Raphael Sajous as principal material scientist and executive director. In his new role, Sajous will be responsible for advancing STRUCTeam’s expertise with the integration of additional manufacturing capabilities for the renewable energy sector.

With more than 30 years of experience in the composites industry, Sajous has held various senior technical and commercial roles, with a focus on renewable energy. Throughout his career, he has actively supported clients in navigating the evolution of wind turbine blades, witnessing the growth of blades from 12 meters to in excess of 100 meters. His diverse skill set encompasses manufacturing support, process innovation, design for manufacture, failure mode and effects analysis, cost reduction strategies, resin, prepreg and adhesive development, testing and certification, and more.

“We are excited to welcome Raphael to STRUCTeam,” says Julien Sellier, founder and managing director of STRUCTeam. “His extensive experience in renewables and the development of composite blades make him a valuable addition to our team. Raphael’s expertise aligns perfectly with our commitment to lead our design for manufacture focus within the renewables sector.”

STRUCTeam remains actively engaged in numerous wind and tidal projects, focused on providing support to leading turbine and blade manufacturers in their composites operations. The company assists clients with product development, assessment and introduction of new materials, processes and design technologies, enabling it to deliver an all-encompassing renewable offering.