He succeeds Carl Martin Welcker, who has held the position since 2016 and could not be re-elected. Haeusgen is Chairman of the Supervisory Board and co-owner of Hawe Hydraulik in Aschheim near Munich.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier commented: "First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Welcker for his dedicated work over the past few years. I congratulate Mr. Haeusgen on his election. I look forward to our cooperation and exchange to strengthen the competitiveness of mechanical and plant engineering and thus the industry in Germany and Europe."

Karl Haeusgen, born in 1966, is married and has three children. After studying business administration in St. Gallen, Switzerland, he worked as an assistant to the management board in materials management at Maho and at Barmag Far East, a subsidiary of the then German textile machinery manufacturer Barmag. Haeusgen then held various positions at Hawe, where he was responsible for sales, marketing, corporate development, quality and organization. From 1996 to 2019, he was a member of the Management Board and Spokesman of the Management Board of Hawe Hydraulik.

Haeusgen has been involved in the VDMA for many years, he is a member of the Narrow Executive Board and the Main Executive Board of the VDMA, from 2008 to 2014 Haeusgen was Chairman of the Board of VDMA Bavaria. He has been Vice President of the VDMA since 2013.

Family entrepreneur Henrik Schunk was once again elected to the office of Vice President. He has been VDMA Vice President since June 2018 and was already heavily involved in the association: from 2009 to 2012 as a member of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Executive Board and since 2013 as a member of the VDMA Executive Board. Schunk has been Managing Partner since 2002 and CEO of the automation specialist Schunk in Lauffen am Neckar since 2010. Bertram Kawlath, Managing Partner of the Schubert & Salzer Group, was newly elected as Vice President.