"Joachim Drees is the right leader at this time as we are focusing on improving our performance, increasing the company's resilience and advancing on the course we have set. Our portfolio spans many sectors and includes companies of different sizes. Haniel’s future success therefore requires leadership with broad experience across different business models," said Maximilian Schwaiger, Chairman of Haniel's Supervisory Board. "Joachim Drees has exactly the right profile: He is a recognized leader with international experience across a broad range of industries and company types and is a straight-forward communicator.”
Joachim Drees has in-depth expertise in leadership and corporate development as well as aligning companies to future trends through investing behind these. In recent years, he has been active as an investor, both in Germany and internationally, and as member of supervisory boards. From 2015 to 2020, he served as CEO of MAN SE and MAN Truck & Bus SE. Prior to this, he was CFO of Drees & Sommer – a company founded by his father. Drees was also a long-standing partner at HgCapital, an international London-based private-equity firm. During this time, he supported portfolio companies from various industries as an Operating Partner. Drees, who holds a degree in Business Administration and an MBA, began his career at auditing and consulting firm Price Waterhouse, working in management consulting.
"I am very much looking forward to this role and to bringing my experience to the challenge of leading Haniel through the next stage in its evolution, working closely with the founding family", said Joachim Drees. "Haniel has a long and illustrious history with strong traditions, and has repeatedly reinvented itself during that time, thanks to entrepreneurial foresight and the openness and ability to change with the times."
