Neckarsulm, 16.6.14 – The Bechtle AG Supervisory Board has renewed the contracts of Executive Board members Michael Guschlbauer, in charge of IT system houses and managed services, and Jürgen Schäfer, in charge of IT e-commerce, ahead of schedule. The contracts, set to expire at the end of the year, were renewed for five years, indicating the Supervisory Board’s desire to continue with the company’s current solid leadership. The renewal also reaffirms both executives’ strong ties with Bechtle. “The re-appointment of Michael Guschlbauer and Jürgen Schäfer confirms Bechtle’s long-term focus. It recognises the excellent job they’ve done in the past years as members of the Executive Board, and it also conveys our confidence that Bechtle will achieve its ambitious goals under its current leadership,” explained Dr Matthias Metz, chairman of the Bechtle AG Supervisory Board.
Continuity at the Executive Level.
Mr Guschlbauer, 49, came aboard Bechtle in January 2008 as the division manager for managed services. He joined the Executive Board a year later as the strategic head of the Bechtle Group’s IT system houses and managed services. Before coming to Bechtle, Mr Guschlbauer spent fourteen years at T-Systems Business Services, where he last served as a member of the company’s executive team. Under Mr Guschlbauer’s leadership, Bechtle’s IT system house and managed services segment has increased its revenue by 67% from around 1.0 billion euros (2009) to over 1.5 billion euros (2013). EBIT more than doubled in the same period.
Mr Schäfer, 55, has been with Bechtle for 26 years, making him one of the company’s longest-serving employees. Initially responsible for purchasing and organisation, he later took over as managing director of the Bechtle IT system house in Würzburg. He subsequently went on to successfully grow Bechtle’s e-commerce business through its eponymous brand, Bechtle direct. As the e-commerce division manager, Mr Schäfer spearheaded expansion into new European markets and centralised all related processes within the company’s Logistik & Service subsidiary. He was appointed to the Bechtle AG Executive Board in early 2009 with full responsibility for all e-commerce activities. Since then, the segment’s revenue has risen 61 percent from 459 million euros (2009) to 738 million euros (2013), and EBIT has more than doubled.
Dr Thomas Olemotz, whose term as chairman of the three-member Executive Board was renewed until 2017 last year—also ahead of schedule—commented, “I’m very pleased to be able to continue leading with such a successful, established and compatible team. It’s quite motivating to be joined by my fellow board members as we pursue Bechtle’s Vision 2020, which aims for five billion euros in revenue and ten thousand employees.”