Thyssenkrupp Steel appoints Marco Richrath as new Chief Operating Officer

Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has appointed Dr.-Ing. Marco Richrath as its new Chief Operations Officer. The Supervisory Board approved the decision at an extraordinary meeting. Richrath will take up the role on January 1, 2026 and will be responsible for the operational and technological management of the company’s entire production network.

Richrath, 53, joins Thyssenkrupp Steel from Shell plc, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President Chemicals and Products for Europe and Africa. He holds a doctorate in engineering and began his career at Thyssenkrupp Uhde before moving into a range of senior management roles within the Shell Group in Germany and abroad. Among other assignments, he led the transformation of Germany’s largest refinery near Cologne.

Ilse Henne, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Thyssenkrupp Steel, highlighted the strategic relevance of the appointment, stating: “With Dr. Marco Richrath, we are gaining an experienced manager with extensive strategic and technical expertise. In particular, his experience with reorganization and operational transformation processes will help us to implement our industrial concept consistently and to realign our production network.”

During the transition period, responsibility for production has been assumed by CEO Dr. Marie Jaroni. Going forward, the CEO’s department will focus on the strategic development and transformation of the company, innovation, and overall sales management. Sales responsibilities within the CEO’s department will be handled by Georgios Giovanakis as a member of the extended Management Board.

Source and Photo: Thyssenkrupp Steel