With effect from 1 April 2012 the supervisory board of German press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) has appointed Michael Kummert (49) new executive vice-president for production. A qualified engineer, Michael Kummert will take over the production remit from president and CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann, and alongside the two main sheetfed and web press factories in Radebeul and Würzburg will also be responsible for continuing the integration of KBA's other domestic and foreign production plants in the recently expanded internal group supply network. Following KBA's inevitable realignment in recent years to a smaller market volume, the supervisory board's objective in expanding the management board with a production expert is to boost efficiency, cut costs and target new fields of activity.

Mr Kummert was recruited from global roller-bearing manufacturer SKF in Schweinfurt, which he joined in 1990 after taking an engineering degree at the technical university in Karlsruhe, majoring in production technology. Employed at a number of locations, Mr Kummert successfully reorganised manufacturing processes and restructuring production plants in various capacities (head of industrial engineering; manufacturing, plant and site manager head of manufacturing and process development). His last appointment was in Schweinfurt, as head of a new business unit for large and taper roller bearings with a workforce of around 1,000. Michael Kummert is married with one son.