Thorsten Klapproth will assume the role of chairman of the executive board of Hansgrohe SE, taking over from Siegfried Gaensslen as the CEO of the sanitary fixtures manufacturer. Prior to joining Hansgrohe, Thorsten Klapproth led Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF) for 10 years.
“By bringing Thorsten Klapproth on board, we have been able to enlist a highly qualified CEO with long-standing and successful expertise in managing and developing top international companies,” said Klaus Grohe, chairman of the supervisory board of Hansgrohe SE. “He will use this experience to the benefit of the company and the employees alike and continue to consolidate Hansgrohe’s position.”
He adds: “Siegfried Gaensslen deserves our very special thanks. His vision, his entrepreneurial skills and his passion and commitment to Hansgrohe have been largely responsible for establishing our company as one of the industry’s few global players.”
After studying business administration, Thorsten Klapproth held management positions in sales and marketing at Siemens AG, as well as at Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH. Then, as an internal management consultant, he led projects for strategy, restructuring, process optimization and corporate culture at Siemens AG in Munich and in Santa Clara, U.S. In 1996, he joined Gaggenau Hausgeräte GmbH, where in 1998 he was elected chairman of the executive board. He eventually integrated the company into Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH.
