The Supervisory Board of AT&S has appointed Gerrit Steen as Chief Financial Officer and member of the Management Board for a three-year term, effective February 1, 2026. This appointment brings a seasoned finance leader with over 25 years of international experience to the company's leadership. Steen's background includes serving as Group CFO of DAMAC Group in Dubai and holding senior roles at Fresenius Group and Heraeus, providing extensive expertise in financial strategy, transformation, and global growth.
With Steen's appointment, AT&S will streamline its management structure into a three-member Executive Board consisting of CEO Michael Mertin as Chairman, CFO Gerrit Steen, and CTO Peter Griehsnig. This organizational change represents a strategic consolidation of leadership responsibilities. Ingolf Schröder will step down from the Executive Board but will remain with the company by mutual agreement, continuing to lead the Business Unit Microelectronics as EVP.
The appointment matters because AT&S operates in a highly competitive global technology sector where disciplined financial management is crucial for capitalizing on emerging opportunities. As a leading manufacturer of high-end IC substrates and printed circuit boards, AT&S supplies critical components for mobile devices, automotive and aerospace industries, medical technology, and high-performance computing for AI applications. The company's ability to navigate complex global markets and allocate capital effectively directly impacts its capacity to serve these growing digital industries.
Steen's international experience across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States positions him to guide AT&S through global expansion challenges. His statement emphasized that "AT&S is very well positioned to benefit from global trends such as digitalization, connectivity, and electrification" and expressed his commitment to "helping turn these opportunities into profitable growth through disciplined financial management and clear capital allocation." This focus on profitable growth is particularly important as the company maintains production sites in Austria, China, Malaysia, and India, with a European competence center for R&D and IC substrate production in Leoben.
Andy Mattes, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AT&S AG, emphasized the value of Steen's appointment, noting his "extensive expertise in financial strategy, transformation, and global growth, combined with his experience in Asia and the United States, will be of great value for the future development of our company." This leadership change comes as AT&S, which employs approximately 13,000 people, continues to shape the digital transformation through investments in research and development. Further information about the company can be found at https://www.ats.net.
The streamlined three-member Executive Board structure may enable faster decision-making as the company navigates rapidly evolving technology markets. With digitalization accelerating across industries from automotive to healthcare, efficient leadership structures become increasingly important for technology companies competing in global markets. The reduction from a larger board to three key executives suggests AT&S is prioritizing agility and focused leadership as it positions itself to capitalize on connectivity and electrification trends that drive demand for its advanced interconnect technologies.
