BMZ Germany GmbH introduces Volker Ritzert as new CEO

BMZ Germany GmbH has announced Volker Ritzert as its new CEO, with effect from 1st August 2023.

Ritzert who joins BMZ Germany GmbH and assumes the CEO role at the German Headquarters of the global BMZ Group, will replace his predecessor Sven Bauer.

As Founder and Main Shareholder of the very fast-growing, globally positioned Group, Sven Bauer will in the future focus on steering the global fortunes of the entire corporate group as Group CEO. The reason for this step is the exponential growth of the company both in terms of demand and with regard to the number of international subsidiaries and acquired companies along the vertical value chain of battery production.

Dipl.-Ing. Volker Ritzert brings many years of expertise from various top management positions in internationally operating and growing corporations as well as owner-managed companies such as Brose, Valeo, Faurecia and Gerresheimer AG to BMZ.

Sven Bauer comments: “Current estimates predict annual growth of 30% for the global battery market until 2030. Our market monitoring already indicates that these estimates are still far too low. To take account of this development and our own already exponential growth, we are currently restructuring the Group by installing a permanent global management team in order to exploit synergies more intensively and to be able to manage the entire company globally.”

“This step will sustainably secure our growth and competitiveness and provide the market with the urgently needed availability of innovative solutions and products. In this next chapter of our company’s history, which is characterized by speed and innovation, I look forward to continuing to steer the fortunes of our Group through the current times, which are as challenging as they are exciting. I am all the more pleased to have won a strong and experienced partner in Volker Ritzert as CEO of our Headquarters.”

Volker Ritzert adds: “The battery market is the central element of the infrastructure of the energy and transport turnaround, which are elementary for climate protection and thus cannot be postponed. As a structured, methodical strategist and at the same time a hands-on enabler, I am looking forward to responding to the current challenges with further advanced solutions together with the BMZ Team. I am therefore very happy to accept my new responsibility in one of the most important and high-potential markets.”

2023 has seen the German business announce a raft of senior appointments, with Andreas Krist becoming the company’s new Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) and Manager Mergers & Acquisitions Head, whilst Oliver Makko joined as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), brings 15 years of leadership experience in finance at large companies such as NORMA Group, Compass Group and TRW, with him, in addition to degrees in aerospace engineering and business administration.