Dr. Michael Bolle (57) will be joining the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH effective July 1, 2018. Bolle is currently head of the corporate sector for research and advance engineering. He will be taking over the newly created position of chief digital officer as well as the chief technology officer function. Alongside the corporate sector for research and advance engineering, his future responsibilities will include the corporate IT sector, the Bosch Software Innovations GmbH subsidiary, and corporate technology coordination and engineering methods.
With the appointment of a chief digital officer, Bosch is signaling its determination to continue driving forward the company’s digital transformation, while at the same time intertwining its technology, product, and IT strategies as closely as possible.
On December 31, Dr. Rolf Bulander (59) will be retiring after 30 years with the company. A PhD in mechanical engineering, he has been a member of the board of management since 2013, and spokesperson for the Mobility Solutions business sector since 2015.
The shareholders and supervisory board expressed their thanks to Bulander for his many years of good service. “Thanks to his tremendous dedication to the company and a healthy dose of team spirit, Rolf Bulander time and again succeeded in overcoming difficult situations and winning the support of associates, customers, and colleagues,” said Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. “During his tenure on the board of management, the Mobility Solutions business sector increased its sales by more than 50 percent.” “Rolf Bulander’s time as member of the board of management was important for the company’s future operations in the area of mobility. For example, his decisive role in establishing the Powertrain Solutions division helped lay important strategic groundwork. He was also largely responsible for the evolution of the former Automotive Technology business sector from a components and systems supplier into a supplier of mobility solutions. At the same time, Rolf Bulander played a crucial part in the strategic move toward electromobility,” said Franz Fehrenbach, the chairman of the supervisory board of Robert Bosch GmbH and managing partner of Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG. “Beyond his professional expertise, he was also always highly respected for his sympathetic and thoughtful manner. On a very personal level, he embodied the company’s values.”
Effective January 1, 2019, his successor and thus the new spokesperson for the Mobility Solutions business sector will be Dr. Stefan Hartung (52). Also a PhD in mechanical engineering, he has been a member of the board of management since 2013. His responsibilities include the Energy and Building Technology as well as the Industrial Technology business sectors, in addition to the Bosch Connected Industry business unit.
Joining the board of management will be Rolf Najork (56). Currently the managing director of Bosch Rexroth AG, effective January 1, 2019, Najork will be taking over from Hartung as head of the Industrial Technology business sector, which includes responsibility for the Drive and Control Technology and Packaging Technology divisions as well as the Bosch Connected Industry business unit. Najork will also continue to act as the president of Bosch Rexroth.
Also joining the board of management will be Dr. Christian Fischer (50). Currently a senior partner at the management consulting firm Roland Berger, Fischer will take over as head of the Energy and Building Technology business sector from January 1, 2019. His responsibilities will include the Building Technologies, Thermotechnology, and Bosch Global Service Solutions divisions, as well as the Robert Bosch Smart Home GmbH subsidiary. Fischer has a PhD in economics and has previous management board-level experience, for example as the CEO of a TecDAX-listed company. He will be joining the Bosch board of management in October 2018 to prepare himself for his new role.
The shareholders and supervisory board wish Dr. Michael Bolle, Dr. Stefan Hartung, Rolf Najork, and Dr. Christian Fischer every success in their new functions.
