Dr. Frank Heislitz, currently chief technology officer (CTO) of Freudenberg Performance Materials, will take over the position of chief executive officer (CEO) of Freudenberg Performance Materials with effect from April 1, 2018. Dr. Heislitz succeeds Bruce Olson, who will retire at the end of March 2018 after 11 years of work for Freudenberg. Olson will continue to serve as chairman of the Shareholders’ Committee of Japan Vilene Company Ltd., a joint venture between Freudenberg and Toray Industries, until the end of 2019.

Dr. Heislitz joined the Freudenberg Group in 2001 as assistant to the Management Board. In 2002, he was appointed head of the Competence Center Freudenberg Stamping and Forming Technology at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, after which he took over management of the Lead Center Simmerring Europe in 2005. Before becoming CTO of Freudenberg Performance Materials, he worked for three years as co-general manager for the NOK-Freudenberg Group China. Dr. Heislitz holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Darmstadt.

In other news, on January 1, John McNabb took over the role of chief operations officer (COO) at Freudenberg Performance Materials from Richard Shaw, who retired at the end of 2017 after 32 years of work for Freudenberg. As of April 1, 2018, McNabb will take over the position of CTO of Freudenberg Performance Materials from Dr. Heislitz. He will be based in Weinheim.

Mr. McNabb began his career with the Freudenberg Group in 1993 as production manager at Freudenberg Performance Materials in Lowell, USA. He then spent three years at Freudenberg Performance Materials in Weinheim as process engineer and production manager. In January 1998, he returned to the U.S. as operations manager for the plant in Hopkinsville, KY. In 2004, he moved to Durham, NC, and has since held various management positions within Freudenberg Performance Materials.

Further, with effect from April 1, 2018, the Management Board of Freudenberg Performance Materials will consist of three members: Dr. Frank Heislitz (CEO), Mr. John McNabb (CTO) and Dr. René Wollert (CFO).

Source: nonwovens