Zumtobel Group AG: Supervisory Board banks on continuity and strengthens the Management Board

Dornbirn, Austria (pta006/11.03.2016/07:30 UTC+1) * Early extension of contract for CEO Schumacher and CFO Sonnenmoser to 2020
* Former Tridonic CEO Alfred Felder appointed to the Management Board as COO
* Guido van Tartwijk succeeds Felder at Tridonic effective 01 November 2016

The Supervisory Board of Zumtobel Group AG has extended the contracts of the Management Board prematurely to 2020 and appointed Alfred Felder the third member of the international lighting group's Management Board. This means that the contract of CEO Ulrich Schumacher, which was due to expire on 30 April 2017, has been extended by a further three years to 30 April 2020. Similarly, the Supervisory Board has extended the contract of Chief Financial Officer Karin Sonnenmoser until 30 April 2020. The Supervisory Board also appointed a third board member: Alfred Felder, to date CEO of the Group's components subsidiary Tridonic. Effective 01 April 2016, Felder assumes the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) with a term of office until 30 April 2019. In his new role as Zumtobel Group COO, Felder's responsibilities will include the Group's global operations and supply chain as well as quality and IT.

Through these steps the Supervisory Board has emphasised the importance of continuity in the strategic redirection of the Zumtobel Group. "In view of the massive changes driven by the technology shift, the company is going through a very important phase. We expressly welcome the Management Board's strategy of systematically leveraging the knowledge base and synergies that exist within the company and of future-proofing the business model by taking it forward through new and innovative services built around smart and connected lighting. Given the vital importance of this redirection, we are delighted that with Alfred Felder we have strengthened the Management Board by adding a proven technology expert and experienced manager, who has done outstanding work at Tridonic over the past three years," said Jürg Zumtobel, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

"On behalf of myself and my colleagues on the Management Board, I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for this expression of confidence in us. Over the past two years we have charted a new course for the company in many different respects and laid the foundations for profitable growth. The main pillars here are our multi-brand strategy in the sales sector, the global competitiveness of our production and supply chain, and the utilisation of platform strategies in purchasing and development. Now we must aim to systematically leverage the potential for further improvements in cost-effectiveness and fundamentally new innovations. In this respect I am particularly looking forward to working even closer with Alfred Felder," said Zumtobel Group CEO Ulrich Schumacher.

Alfred Felder, born 1963, has been CEO of the Zumtobel Group's components subsidiary Tridonic since November 2012. Felder, who has a doctorate in Electrical Engineering was born and raised in the South Tyrol and previously held a wide range of specialist and management roles with the Siemens Group and its former lighting arm, Osram. In the course of his career he has spent several longer periods in Japan, the USA and China.

His successor as CEO of Tridonic will be Guido van Tartwijk, who will take up his new role on 01 November 2016. Born in the Netherlands in 1967, Guido van Tartwijk holds a doctorate in Physics and has amassed extensive experience in the lighting and semiconductors industries. In the first six years of his career, he worked for major telecommunications as well as start-up companies in the Netherlands and the USA. The subsequent twelve years took him to a variety of top management roles with Philips Lighting where he was also responsible for establishing the global Philips LED Lighting hub in Shanghai. Most recently he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Philips LED Electronics.

In the interim phase until November 2016, Alfred Felder will work closely with the Tridonic Management Team to manage the operations of components subsidiary Tridonic.

(end)

Emitter:	Zumtobel Group AG Höchster Straße 8 6850 Dornbirn Austria
Contact Person:	Harald Albrecht
Phone:	+43 5572 509-1125
E-Mail:	harald.albrecht@zumtobelgroup.com
Website:	www.zumtobelgroup.com
ISIN(s):	AT0000837307 (Share)
Stock Exchange(s):	Vienna Stock Exchange (Official Trade)