Kathrin Dahnke to head the Finance Department as Executive Director
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On 1 September 2021, Kathrin Dahnke will take over as Head of Finance at the internationally active medical technology company Ottobock. The business graduate succeeds Jörg Wahlers as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who, for health reasons, has decided to step down from his roles as Managing Director and in the Management Board. He will continue to support the company and its committees in an advisory capacity.
Kathrin Dahnke to head the Finance Department as Executive Director and become a member of the Management Board
Jörg Wahlers will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity
I sincerely thank Jörg Wahlers for his successful efforts in the years past. "As CFO, he securely guided Ottobock on its growth course through extraordinary challenges such as the pandemic and provided cross-departmental impulses such as the ones concerning the New Work requirements," says Professor Hans Georg Näder, owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA. "I am pleased that he will continue to accompany us with his expertise and experience. First of all, I wish him a full recovery!"
Wide-ranging experience in family-owned businesses and on the capital market
Kathrin Dahnke is an experienced CFO with broad responsibility for finance, controlling, M&A and IT. She is a supervisory board member of B.Braun and Knorr-Bremse. There she chairs the audit committee. Until the end of June 2021, she acted as CFO of the photonics company Osram. There, within a short space of time, she successfully completed AMS’ takeover and the subsequent delisting. Prior to this commitment, from 2014 to 2019 she was on the Executive Board of the family-owned company Werhahn. From 2010 to 2014, she was CFO of the machine tool manufacturer DMG Mori Seiki (formerly Gildemeister). After studying in Göttingen, Dahnke started her career in controlling at Beiersdorf in Hamburg.
"At an early stage, Kathrin Dahnke took on responsibility for finance departments and proved to be an outstanding CFO in both family businesses and listed companies. She is thus an ideal appointment. I am pleased that we were able to win her over for this exciting task," says Philipp Schulte-Noelle, CEO of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA. "With her expertise, Kathrin Dahnke contributes decisively to the implementation of our sustainable future strategy and getting the company ready for the stock market."
The new CFO is well familiar with the company; until 2004, she had a leading position in companies owned by the Näder family. "The role of CFO at Ottobock is a stroke of luck for me," says Kathrin Dahnke. "I am convinced of the mission to make people mobile again. Now I can incorporate my diverse experiences to shape the next chapter in the company's development."
By improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, Ottobock creates health economic benefits. The mission statement is the provision of integrated, digitally oriented and high-quality care. The group of companies also grew in 2020 compared to the previous year.
About Ottobock
Ottobock develops “wearable human bionics” – medical technology products for people with limited mobility in the fields of prosthetics, neuro-orthotics, human mobility (wheelchairs) and exoskeletons. The company, founded in 1919, also treats patients in its Patient Care division. Ottobock's mission is to improve their quality of life and increase health economic benefits. With the Paexo exoskeletons, Ottobock has transferred its expertise in biomechanics to applications for industry as well since 2012. Subsidiaries in almost 60 countries offer “Made in Germany” quality worldwide and employ more than 8000 people. The international activities of the company are coordinated from the head office in Duderstadt (state of Lower Saxony). Ottobock has been supporting the Paralympic Games with its technical expertise since 1988.
Mark C. Schneider
Vice President Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA, Prenzlauer Allee 242, 10405 Berlin
Telefon: +49 30 398 206 222
Handy: +49 151 146 591 35
E-Mail: MarkC.Schneider@ottobock.de