Centrotherm International AG Appoints New Supervisory Board Leadership Following Shareholder Change

The supervisory board of centrotherm international AG has undergone significant changes following the entry of Ardian Semiconductor as the new main shareholder. The Ulm Local Court appointed Dr. Helmut Gassel and Stefan Kappis as members of the supervisory board effective January 15, 2026, at the suggestion of both the management board and Ardian Semiconductor. During its constituent meeting on January 23, 2026, the supervisory board elected Dr. Helmut Gassel as chairman and Stefan Kappis as deputy chairman. Robert M. Hartung will continue his service on the board, while previous members Hans-Hasso Kersten and Dr. Xinan Jia resigned their seats effective December 17, 2025, as a result of the new shareholder structure.

Dr. Helmut Gassel emphasized the board's commitment to supporting the management board in driving forward the strategic development of centrotherm international AG and unlocking the company's full potential using Ardian Semiconductor's resources and network. He specifically noted the value of continuing to work with Robert M. Hartung, whose extensive knowledge of the company and decade-long strategic guidance has established centrotherm as a reliable and innovative supplier to leading power semiconductor manufacturers. This leadership transition represents a deliberate alignment between centrotherm's operational expertise and Ardian Semiconductor's investment strategy in the semiconductor sector.

The appointments bring substantial industry experience to centrotherm's governance. Dr. Helmut Gassel is a partner and co-founder of Silian Partners, a team of recognized semiconductor industry experts with which Ardian Semiconductor maintains an exclusive strategic partnership. With over thirty years of international top management experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, his background includes serving on the executive board of Infineon Technologies AG, where he was responsible for sales, marketing & regions, strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property. Stefan Kappis brings transaction expertise as a director in the buyout team at Ardian Germany, having been involved in numerous deals since joining Ardian in 2014 after working in investment banking at Barclays in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in Frankfurt am Main.

These changes occur as centrotherm continues to develop thermal production solutions and coating technologies for growing international markets. The company's seventy-year history includes serving growth sectors such as the semiconductor and microelectronics industry, photovoltaics, and emerging fields like fiber or battery production. As a globally active technology group with over seven hundred employees worldwide, centrotherm works closely with industry and research partners to improve production concepts and set new trends, generating competitive advantages for customers. The supervisory board restructuring signifies a strategic pivot toward leveraging Ardian Semiconductor's network and resources to enhance centrotherm's market position and technological innovation in critical manufacturing sectors. Further information about the company is available at https://www.centrotherm.de.