SÜSS MicroTec SE: Burkhardt Frick to become new CEO of SUSS MicroTec | Management Board contract of Dr. Thomas Rohe extended by three years until 2027
Garching, June 14, 2023 – The Supervisory Board of SÜSS MicroTec SE has appointed Burkhardt Frick (58) as a member of the Management Board and the new Chief Executive Officer of the Company as of September 11, 2023. The experienced manager succeeds Dr. Bernd Schulte, who will return as planned to the Company’s Supervisory Board on the same date. The Management Board contract of Dr. Thomas Rohe, Chief Operating Officer, has been extended by three more years until April 30, 2027.
Burkhardt Frick has more than 30 years' experience in the high-tech industry. Since 2014, Frick has worked for the leading global semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML; as the Vice President of Strategic Sourcing & Supply Chain, he was initially responsible for purchasing and strategic partnerships with some of the company’s most important suppliers. Since 2021, in his role as the Vice President of Corporate Marketing, he has supported the Management Board with the long-term product and market strategy. Between 1994 and 2014, Burkhardt Frick served in various management positions in Philips' mobile display and semiconductor business, with stations of several years each in the USA and Hong Kong. Specifically, he led strategic marketing and sales organizations and most recently served as a member of the Management Board of Assembléon, a former Philips subsidiary.
“We are delighted that Burkhardt Frick has decided to lead our Company as CEO in the future. He possesses the desired sector-specific and customer experience and has managed and successfully expanded global business activities,” says Dr. David Dean, Chair of the Supervisory Board of SÜSS MicroTec SE. “Mr. Frick lived in Asia and the USA for many years and has an excellent network in the sales markets that are most important for us. We are very confident that he will contribute this experience to SUSS MicroTec.”
“I thank the Supervisory Board for its confidence in me to fill this important role in the future. SUSS MicroTec is a global leading provider in its key markets and a recognized partner of the most important semiconductor manufacturers,” says Burkhardt Frick, whose Management Board contract will initially run until September 10, 2026. "I am particularly looking forward to working in an agile, mid-sized company that pursues ambitious targets. I am eager to meet SUSS MicroTec's customers, and to make my contribution, so that together we can seize the growth opportunities that present themselves.”
Chairman of the Supervisory Board Dr. David Dean thanked acting CEO Dr. Bernd Schulte in advance for his extraordinary commitment over the previous months: “In October 2022, Dr. Schulte agreed at short notice to take over the CEO role for a transitional period of at most one year. He has been fully involved from the first day, helping the organization to reach its immediate goals and laying important groundwork for the medium and long-term success of SUSS MicroTec. For this, my Supervisory Board colleagues and I thank him sincerely.”
Parallel to the appointment of Burkhardt Frick, the Supervisory Board of SUSS MicroTec has agreed to extend the contract of Dr. Thomas Rohe, who has served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer since May 2021, until April 30, 2027. “In his first two years, Dr. Thomas Rohe has made it clear which changes are necessary to sustainably improve efficiency in the development and manufacture of our systems. He has already implemented important strategic measures such as the centralization of the research and development activities and the modularization of the various product lines. We intend to continue on this path together and are confident that this will create value for our shareholders,” says Dr. David Dean.
With the appointment of Dr. Cornelia Ballwießer as a new member of the Management Board and CFO beginning July 1, 2023, and of Burkhardt Frick as the new CEO, in addition to the contract extension of Dr. Thomas Rohe, all positions in SUSS MicroTec's Management Board are now filled for the long term. Dr. David Dean notes: “We are thus demonstrating to our employees and the capital market a high degree of planning certainty for the coming years. Now we can fully focus on the operational business and the strategic development of the Company.”
Media contact:
Sven Koepsel
Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Email: sven.koepsel@suss.com
Phone: +49 89 32007151
About SUSS MicroTec
SUSS MicroTec is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for microstructuring in the semiconductor industry and related markets. In close cooperation with research institutes and industry partners SUSS MicroTec contributes to the advancement of next-generation technologies such as 3D Integration and nanoimprint lithography as well as key processes for MEMS and LED manufacturing. With a global infrastructure for applications and service SUSS MicroTec supports more than 8.000 installed systems worldwide. SUSS MicroTec is headquartered in Garching near Munich, Germany. The shares of SUSS MicroTec SE are traded in the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A10K0235). For more information, please visit http://www.suss.com.
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