The supervisory board of MANN+HUMMEL Verwaltungs GmbH has appointed Kurk Wilks as the new president and CEO as of Jan. 1, 2020. Wilks succeeds Werner Lieberherr, who left the company in October by mutual agreement.

Wilks will manage the group together with Executive Vice President and Chief Finance Officer Emese Weissenbacher and Chief Operating Officer Nic Zerbst.

Wilks has been with the company for about 20 years. He has been managing the automotive original equipment business since 2019 and will continue to do so. Wilks previously worked in a variety of roles within MANN+HUMMEL in the U.S. He joined MANN+HUMMEL as a sales manager and worked in various other posts at the company before being named president and general manager, Original Equipment. Wilks has a degree in accounting and an MBA from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan.

“I’ve been able to familiarize myself with all the divisions of MANN+HUMMEL over the past years. I am looking forward to tackling my greatest challenge yet together with Emese Weissenbacher and Nic Zerbst,” said Wilks. “Thanks to our employees and our strong brands, we are well-positioned in all business units. Now we need to build on our market-leading position in the filtration sector. I am grateful to the supervisory board for the trust they have placed in me and that I will be responsible for providing continuity for this family business.”

Chairman of the Supervisory Board Thomas Fischer said, “We are delighted that the group now has a clear way forward with the new leadership team. In Kurk Wilks, we have found someone who has already been successfully helping to shape the company for many years, who is determined, embodies our values and has international links, all of which is extremely important in a global company such as MANN+HUMMEL. I wish the new leadership team every success.”