"I am very much looking forward to leading Lapp into the future together with all employees. We have a strong strategy and are in an excellent position to provide our customers with answers to the major issues of our time, e.g. in the areas of digitalization and sustainability," emphasizes Matthias Lapp. The generational change at the global market leader for integrated solutions in the field of cable and connection technology was already initiated in 2017, when Matthias Lapp became CEO of the largest region LA EMEA, which also includes the important German business. Now the next big step is being taken: Andreas Lapp will hand over the chairmanship of the Management Board to his nephew Matthias Lapp at the start of the 2022/23 financial year on October 1, 2022. The latter will take on the role in a dual function to his responsibilities as CEO LA EMEA. At the same time, Siegbert E. Lapp will hand over his role as Chairman of the Supervisory Board to his former deputy Dr. Hans Schumacher (67), who has been a member of the board since 2015. At the same time, Katharina Lapp (24), Andreas Lapp's daughter, will be appointed to the Supervisory Board. This means that there will continue to be one family member on the Management Board and one on the Supervisory Board: Lapp remains a family business.

Retirement after 42 and 35 years in management responsibility

When their father Oskar Lapp, founder of Lapp, died unexpectedly in 1987, the brothers Siegbert E. and Andreas Lapp took over responsibility and ran the company from then on with their mother Ursula Ida Lapp. Over the past 35 years, together they have developed Lapp into a global player and world market leader in connection technology.

"My brother Andreas and I can look back on a fulfilling and successful, but also very intensive professional life. We are now looking forward to taking a step back from October, dedicating ourselves to our favorite projects and following Lapp's success story from the front row," says Siegbert E. Lapp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Both will remain closely associated with the company as owners and will continue to support their children as mentors. "The economic and working world is changing and we trust the young minds to lead Lapp through this change. We are positioning ourselves for the future while remaining true to our roots, our values and our identity as a family business. We have every confidence that the third generation, the management and all employees worldwide will lead Lapp into a successful future," adds Andreas Lapp.

Matthias and Katharina Lapp: Decision for the company

As the eldest grandson of company founder Ursula Ida Lapp (1930-2021), Matthias Lapp joined the Lapp Group in 2010 after studying international business administration and working in various companies. Since 2017, he has been Managing Director of U.I. Lapp, responsible for the regions Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (LA EMEA) and thus the most important sales market of the Lapp Group. In this role, he has very successfully driven forward the internationalization of the Lapp Group and placed a strong focus on the topics of corporate culture and international cooperation.

Just like her cousin Matthias, Katharina Lapp grew up in and with the company: she has been attending parties and events since her early childhood and later gained her first professional experience during vacation work and internships in various areas at Lapp. She was project manager for the construction of the Collège Andreas Lapp, a school in Côte d'Ivoire co-financed by Andreas Lapp, which was completed in 2019. After graduating from high school, she studied mechatronics and learned the basics of mechatronics, information technology and electrical engineering. This was followed by a degree in international management, in which she placed a special focus on the continent of Africa - one of the Lapp Group's major strategic future markets.