Plymouth Auto Supplier Freudenberg Announces Senior Management Changes

Sohi, Krieger to assume new leadership responsibilities for global organization
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PLYMOUTH, Mich., June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Freudenberg Group, a global corporation based in Weinheim, Germany, has announced that Dr. Mohsen Sohi will assume responsibility as Speaker of the Management Board of the organization in a transition effective July 1, 2012. Sohi is the first American to hold this role for the privately-held corporation.

In North America, the Freudenberg Group operates Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership, a holding company of 14 diverse businesses that provide products and services to industries ranging from automotive, aerospace and medical to chemical, oil and gas and construction.

Sohi, former president and CEO of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies (Freudenberg-NOK) headquartered in Plymouth, Mich., became a member the Management Board in May 2010. He will succeed Dr. Peter Bettermann, current Management Board speaker, who plans to retire next year.  

The Freudenberg Group is run by the four-member Management Board. In addition to Bettermann and Sohi, the Freudenberg Group’s Management Board includes Christoph Mosmann and Dr. Martin Stark.

Sohi joined the Freudenberg organization via Freudenberg-NOK in 2003. Freudenberg-NOK is the Americas joint venture between the Freudenberg Group in Germany and NOK Corporation in Japan. Under Sohi’s leadership, Freudenberg-NOK successfully transitioned from a primarily automotive supplier into a world-leading manufacturer of precision-engineered seals and elastomeric products for a variety of industries including automotive, aerospace, appliance, diesel engine, agriculture and construction, marine, off-highway equipment, energy and recreational vehicles.

In a second important announcement, the corporation announced that Dr. Ralf Krieger has been elected to serve on this Board effective Oct. 1. Krieger, who joined Freudenberg in 1995, is currently a member of the management team overseeing Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. He oversees Operations, Lean Management, Supply Chain Management, Purchasing, Human Resources, Communications, and Mergers and Acquisitions.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is the largest Business Group of the Freudenberg Group. Since January, the activities of Freudenberg Dichtungs- und Schwingungstechnik (Europe) and Freudenberg-NOK have been consolidated under the global umbrella of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.

Krieger has held various positions with the Freudenberg Group including Speaker and CFO of Freudenberg-NOK in the Americas and CEO of Freudenberg IT in Weinheim.

Freudenberg will announce Krieger’s successor on the FST Management Board later in the year.

About the Freudenberg Group

Freudenberg is a family company offering its customers technically challenging product solutions and services. The Freudenberg Group is first and foremost a supplier specializing in seals and vibration control technology, nonwovens, filtration, lubricants and release agents as well as mechatronic products. The end-user can find modern Freudenberg household products in the shops under the brand names of vileda®, O’Cedar® and Wettex®. And especially for mid-size companies Freudenberg develops software solutions and IT services. The Freudenberg Group employed around 34,000 people in 59 countries and generated sales of more than U.S. $7.13 billion in 2010. For additional information, please visit www.freudenberg.com

About Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership.

Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership, the North American holding company for Freudenberg & Co. of Weinheim, Germany, owns a family of companies which operate 14 unique businesses. Together, these companies provide innovative products and solutions to customers in industries ranging from automotive, aerospace and medical to chemical, oil and gas and construction. Freudenberg North America companies develop and manufacture custom-engineered seals, vibration control technology, filters, nonwovens, release agents, lubricants, expansion joints, household products, and IT software and services.