ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein CHRO to retire - Heinz Pafferath to be succeeded by Carsten Laakmann

Heinz Pafferath has been with ThyssenKrupp for 39 years. Since 2005 he has been Chief Human Resources Officer at ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein in Andernach. And now on September 30 he is to retire. With his down-to-earth and engaging personality, the 65-year-old has a winning way with people. As a result he enjoys the high regard of everyone at the company – from boardroom to shop floor – which has helped him in the past in sometimes difficult negotiations with the employee representatives.

"In Heinz Pafferath our company is losing a true stalwart," says Dr. Heribert Fischer, Supervisory Board Chairman of ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein. "What makes him special is what makes all outstanding HR professionals special: He puts people first." At its meeting today the Supervisory Board of ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein appointed Carsten Laakmann, currently Chief Human Resources Officer at ThyssenKrupp System Engineering in Heilbronn, as Pafferath's successor. The 49-year-old is no stranger to the company, having worked there before from the end of the 1990s until 2007.

Heinz Pafferath still has a busy daily schedule of meetings, employee interviews, etc. From October travel and sport will occupy his time. "I've always enjoyed working, but after almost 40 years' service I'm looking forward to spending time with my family and relaxing," says Bochum-born Pafferath. "But until then there's still a lot to do." And it's true that before he finally leaves the company on September 30 the HR veteran still has plenty on his plate – and not just at ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein, since he is also labor director at Hoesch-Hohenlimburg and CHRO at ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel in Gelsenkirchen.

Pafferath will also use the coming months to help his successor find his feet, because Laakmann is to join ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein, Germany's only tinplate producer, on July 1 before taking over as CHRO on October 1. As well as being responsible for around 2,500 employees in Andernach, Laakmann is also to join the management team at Hoesch Hohenlimburg, a producer of medium-wide strip with around 900 employees.

Laakmann has worked for the Group since 1990. As well as his previous spell at ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein, he was among other things head of HR management at Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) in Duisburg from 2007 to 2012. "Carsten Laakmann knows our company and brings with him HR experience from his time at ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein. That made him an ideal candidate for this position. Heinz Pafferath leaves big shoes to fill. We're sure that Carsten Laakmann will continue this culture of working together as equals," said Wilfried Stenz, Head of the Works Council at ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein, following Laakmann's appointment by the Supervisory Board today.