Zumtobel – Changes in management and strategic development: Supervisory Board appoints Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang as CEO of Zumtobel Group AG
Dornbirn, Austria – The Supervisory Board of Zumtobel Group AG has appointed Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
He will join the Executive Board on 1 September 2026 and assume the role of Chief Executive Officer from Dr. Alfred Felder on 1 October 2026. The appointment is part of a long-term succession plan developed in close consultation with Dr. Alfred Felder.
Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang brings more than 25 years of international leadership and industrial management experience. Most recently, he served as CEO of the WAGO Group, a global technology company with around 9,000 employees and annual revenues of around EUR 1.3 billion. Prior to that, he was a divisional director at Bosch Rexroth, where he was responsible for the Factory Automation division. Throughout his career, he has focused on the strategic development of technology-driven businesses and global organisations, identifying and unlocking profitable growth opportunities through market-oriented solutions, technological innovation and the purposeful development of strategic partnerships.
Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang impressed the Supervisory Board with his strategic vision, international leadership experience and deep understanding of technology-driven business models. With his appointment, we are gaining a highly accomplished industrial executive to lead the next phase of the Zumtobel Group’s development. With its strong brands, the Group uniquely combines technology, architecture and emotion. Together with the Executive Board, we will build on these strengths and continue to execute our profitable growth strategy with a clear focus on future opportunities.
— Karin Zumtobel-Chammah, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Zumtobel Group
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Alfred Felder. Under his leadership, the Zumtobel Group has navigated a challenging market environment with determination and consistency. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the Group’s strategic direction and laying the foundations for its future success.
— Karin Zumtobel-Chammah, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Zumtobel Group
Dr. Alfred Felder has been a member of the Executive Board since 2016 and has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2018. Prior to becoming CEO, he was responsible for the Group’s Components business and played a key role in driving its successful transition to LED technology. As CEO, he has strengthened the Zumtobel Group’s international competitiveness, advanced its strategic positioning and successfully guided the company through a challenging market environment. He will gradually hand over his responsibilities to Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang through the end of 2026 and will continue to support the Zumtobel Group in an advisory capacity.
Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang said:
“The lighting market is on the cusp of a structural transformation. Adaptive, intelligent and connected systems are turning light into an integral component of smart spaces, creating business opportunities that extend far beyond traditional lighting applications. We must continue to build on these developments and leverage their potential to drive sustainable and profitable growth. I look forward to shaping this future together with our employees, customers and partners.”
SourceZumtobel
EMR Analysis
More information on Zumtobel: See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Karin Zumtobel-Chammah (Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, Zumtobel Group): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Dr. Alfred Felder (Chief Executive Officer, Zumtobel Group till December 31, 2026 + Advisor, Zumtobel Group): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Dr.-Ing. Heiner Lang (Member of the Board of Directors, Zumtobel Group as from September 1, 2026 + Chief Executive Officer, Zumtobel Group as from October 1, 2026 + Associate, WAGO): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Thomas Erath (Chief Financial Officer, Zumtobel Group): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Bernard Motzko (Chief Operating Officer, Zumtobel Group AG till 30.09.2026): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Marcus Frantz (Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Zumtobel Group): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on FOCUSED Strategy (2024) and FOCUSED[+] Strategy (2025) by Zumtobel: See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on WAGO: https://www.wago.com/ + The WAGO Group is an international, standard-setting supplier of electrical interconnection and automation products and interface electronics. The family-run company is the world market leader in spring pressure connection technology. WAGO has continued to grow since being founded in 1951, with a current worldwide workforce of about 9.000, with more than 4.400 of these in Germany at its headquarters in Minden (North Rhine-Westphalia) and in Sondershausen (Thuringia).
WAGO products are used globally in power and process technology, building automation, machinery and equipment, as well as industrial and transportation applications. They are trusted anywhere electrical conductors must be connected to each other or where complex automation systems must be controlled. Here they have continuously been proven to contribute to safety and the reliable operation of devices and complete installations.
- 2025 revenue at €1.34 Billion
- 9,000 employees and colleagues worldwide
- 9 international production and distribution sites, 22 other distribution companies and representatives in more than 80 countries
More information on Christian Hohorst (Shareholder and Member of the Supervisory Board, WAGO): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Björn Twiehaus (Chief Executive Officer, WAGO as from 15.09.2026): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Bosch Rexroth AG by Robert Bosch GmbH: See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Dr. Jochen Peter (Chief Executive Officer, Bosch Rexroth AG, Robert Bosch GmbH): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
EMR Additional Notes:
- LED:
- LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light.
- A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons.
- LED vs. Halogen:
- Halogen bulbs, while lasting longer than incandescent bulbs, only last up to 2,000 hours. In contrast, LED bulbs can last up to 25,000 hours, and LED tubes are rated for up to 50,000 hours. LED bulbs can use as much as 80% less energy than halogen bulbs.
- There’s obviously a clear winner when it comes to LED vs halogen lighting. LED lights are more energy-efficient, have a longer lifespan, and offer more choices in color temperature. They do cost a little more, but their extremely long lifespan easily offsets the higher upfront cost.
- OLED:
- An Organic Light-Emitting Diode is a solid-state device consisting of a thin, carbon-based semiconductor layer that emits light when electricity is applied by adjacent electrodes. In order for light to escape from the device, at least one of the electrodes must be transparent.
- OLED devices (television screens, computer monitors, and portable systems such as smartphones …) use a organic material as a light emitting layer. Organic LEDs can produce high quality displays with high contrasts, high viewing angles and true blacks. Some say that OLEDs produce the world’s best display panels.
- microLED:
- Compared to widespread LCD technology, microLED displays offer better contrast, response times, and energy efficiency. They are also capable of high speed modulation, and have been proposed for chip-to-chip interconnect applications.
- MicroLED prototype displays have been shown to offer up to 10 times more brightness than the best OLED panel while being significantly more power efficient, making them an exciting new technology in the world of displays.