Frank Koch new CEO of Swiss Steel Group

he Board of Directors of Swiss Steel Group, a global leader in special long steel, has appointed Frank Koch as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Group as of January 1, 2022 at the latest. Now that key milestones in the realignment of the Swiss Steel Group have been reached, the current CEO Clemens Iller has decided to leave the company, thus also enabling a fresh start in terms of personnel in the management of the Group.

Frank Koch (48) has successfully managed and restructured the long-established German steel producer GMH Group (Georgsmarienhütte) during the last three years as CEO, having already been a member of the Group Executive Board there from 2008 as CSO/Logistics and COO. Frank Koch began his career in 1991 with an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk in the steel division of ThyssenKrupp. While working in various positions within the ThyssenKrupp Group, he first worked for Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, part of the Swiss Steel Group, before taking on responsibility for strategy and sales at leading Italian steel producer Danieli from 2004 to 2006. In 2006 he returned to Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, where he was also responsible for sales and strategy until 2007.

Since joining the company in April 2014, Clemens Iller has successfully led today's Swiss Steel Group during a period marked by major structural and financial challenges. He moved the company's headquarters from Germany to Switzerland in 2015, acquired the Ascometal Group in 2018, was responsible for several refinancings and merged the originally loose group of companies into a unified group. The global sales presence was expanded to more than 70 branches and a uniform sales concept was introduced at the same time. To counter the economic consequences of the market downturn and the Covid 19 crisis, a 5-year restructuring program was set up under his leadership and already successfully implemented in 2020. He will remain available to the company in an advisory capacity until further notice to ensure a seamless transition to his successor.

Jens Alder, Chairman of the Board of Directors, says: "With an impressive career from basic training to CEO of a complex industrial group and stations at several leading steel companies, Frank Koch has outstanding strategic and operational skills and experience. He has successfully implemented comprehensive turnaround and restructuring programs and in each case achieved significant improvements in the operational and financial performance of the companies he led. He therefore has everything it takes to lead the Swiss Steel Group to success, even in times of continuing major challenges. The Board of Directors thanks Clemens Iller for his great commitment in leading the company in a very challenging environment and for his dedication in focusing the company on its core as a sustainable steel producer."

Clemens Iller, outgoing CEO, says: "I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead and shape the Swiss Steel Group for almost 7 years through sometimes very difficult changes in the international environment. Now that stabilization and refinancing have been completed, I would like to clear the way for a new management team and turn my attention to new tasks."

Source and Photo: Swiss Steel Group