R. Smith
At the end of 2023, more than 1.8 million KION brand industrial trucks were in operation worldwide across numerous industries on six continents. Rob Smith (58) remains at the helm, having had his contract as CEO extended for another five years.
Smith will thus lead the group until December 31, 2029. This decision underlines the Supervisory Board's firm confidence in Smith's strategic vision, his operational competence, and his ability to create sustainable value for shareholders, customers, and employees, says Supervisory Board Chairman Hans Peter Ring.
“Together with our management team and our more than 42,000 employees worldwide, we want to shape the future of supply chains globally,” Smith said. “We will continue to implement our strategic priorities and seize the opportunities offered by our markets and technological innovations.”
Prior to joining Kion, Smith was President & CEO of the publicly listed Finnish company Konecranes, an international manufacturer of industrial cranes and container port automation. From 2013 to 2019, he was Senior Vice President & General Manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East at the global agricultural machinery group AGCO Corporation. Before that, he held management positions in companies in the automotive supply and capital goods industries in the USA, France, and Germany.
HP Ring
Smith holds a BSE in Systems Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA in International Operations & Finance from the University of Texas at Austin – Red McCombs School of Business. He earned his degrees in Business Administration and Economics from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Koblenz, where he wrote his dissertation on Global Supply Chain Performance and Risk Optimization. In other words, being in the right place, in the right quantity, and at the right time – as one of the guiding principles of logistics so aptly puts it.
The MDAX-listed company is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in the EMEA region, based on unit sales in 2022. In terms of 2022 revenue, the group is also the leading foreign producer in China and, including domestic manufacturers, the third-largest supplier. The company currently employs more than 42,000 people and generated revenue of approximately €11.4 billion in fiscal year 2023.
