Dr Axel Kaufmann (44), CFO at Koenig & Bauer (KBA) since October 2010, will leave the press manufacturer at his own request to pursue new professional challenges.

The KBA supervisory board appointed Dr Mathias Dähn as Mr Kaufmann’s successor in today’s meeting. Mathias Dähn will start this management board mandate at the beginning of June 2014. Following a mutually agreed time period, he will take over all of the duties pertaining to this position from Mr Kaufmann. Until he leaves the management board Axel Kaufmann has agreed to be available to facilitate a smooth transition. Supervisory board chairman Dr Martin Hoyos: “I wish to thank Mr Kaufmann for all his work over the past years and for the professional transfer of responsibilities to his successor. I am convinced that with Mr Dähn we have gained an excellent CFO who will offer essential support during the ongoing restructuring process and beyond.”  

Born in Munich, Mathias Dähn who holds a doctorate in business administration has a broad financial and industrial background at an international level with extensive experience in controlling, purchasing, M&A and optimising commercial processes. After beginning his career at Robert Bosch in 1995, Mr Dähn held various positions including head of controlling for Eastern Europe before becoming chief auditor for internal audits. Mathias Dähn took up further managerial posts in controlling at telecommunications group debitel and as CFO of Loyalty Partner in Munich from 2000 up to his change to the MAN Group in 2005. At the MAN Group he first became director for group controlling where he was directly involved in various M&A activities, such as the sale of Manroland. This was followed by director of group purchasing for MAN Diesel & Turbo. From 2011 to 2013 Mathias Dähn was CFO at lighting manufacturer Zumtobel, an Austrian firm which is listed on the stock exchange. He is married and has three children. 

After holding various executive positions within the Siemens group for more than ten years, in 2010 Axel Kaufmann left global network supplier Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to become CFO at KBA. His role was expanded to include further remits, such as IT and the newly established area compliance. In 2012 he became deputy president. Along with strategic and operative tasks relating to finance, Mr Kaufmann reorganised strategic purchasing at KBA, was responsible for optimising the financial structure and working capital, modernising the Group’s internal accounting systems, and the realignment of various subsidiaries. He also made a substantial contribution to KBA’s recent acquisitions in the packaging sector and the strategic realignment of the KBA Group. Mr Kaufmann lives in Munich with his family.