Dr. Mathias Dobner (former CTO of Gottwald): new CEO of Gottwald and Executive Director of the Port Technology segment in the Senior Management team of the Demag Cranes AG.

Gottwald Port Technology Announces Management Changes
Dr. Mathias Dobner Succeeds Dirk Kiessling as New CEO

Düsseldorf, 24. August 2006 – With effect from 23 June 2006 Gottwald announces the appointment of former Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Dr. Mathias Dobner as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This appointment comes in the wake of the listing of Demag Cranes AG as Prime Standard at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The newly formed industrial group has three segments: Industrial Cranes, Port Technology and Services which are fully dedicated to selected areas in material handling technologies. In addition to being CEO of Gottwald Port Technology GmbH, Dr. Mathias Dobner holds the position of Executive Director of the Group Segment Port Technology.

As new CEO of Gottwald, Dr. Mathias Dobner succeeds Dirk Kiessling who will stay close to Gottwald in his new positions as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Gottwald Port Technology GmbH and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Demag Cranes’ Management Board.

“We are delighted to have won Mathias Dobner with his background, experience and expertise as Gottwald´s new CEO and Executive Director of the Segment Port Technology,” says Dirk Kiessling. "Gottwald stands for 100 years of success driven by strong customer orientation, a thorough understanding of port logistics and a high level of technical innovation. The appointment of Mathias Dobner ensures that Gottwald´s strategies and visions are effectively transformed into products, systems and solutions. Fully accepted and supported by the Gottwald employees, Mathias Dobner is the right person to continue the Gottwald success story within the new framework of Demag Cranes AG.”

"As new CEO of Gottwald I am fully aware of my responsibilities towards our shareholders, customers, associates and employees. My clear target is to further expand and develop our technological and market leadership. With the outstanding innovation and motivation of our highly qualified employees we will also in the future be able to launch groundbreaking new products, offer our customers excellent services and solutions and achieve sustainable growth,” says Mathias Dobner. "I also look forward to working with my predecessor and colleague Dirk Kiessling and the other senior managers of the Demag Cranes AG as I am sure that this newly formed group can create significant additional benefits to our customers.”

Dr. Mathias Dobner

In his new position, Mathias Dobner, 45, can build upon more than ten years of extensive experience as research engineer and sound knowledge of the port business.

After having completed his PhD in mechanical engineering at the leading ISF Welding and Joining Institute of the University of Engineering and Applied Science in Aachen, he joined the Port Automation Division of Gottwald in 1996 and was named Head of Systems Development in 1998. In July 2004, he was appointed Chief Technical Officer (CTO). On 23 June 2006, Dr. Mathias Dobner became CEO of Gottwald Port Technology and is the sole member of the Executive Board.

Right from the start, Mathias Dobner has always encouraged his teams to take a wider and totally systematic approach and to examine the possibility of applying other industrial applications to the ports industry when developing solutions for customers. He believes that a thorough understanding of the multitude of interfaces, environmental influences and material flow requirements in a terminal is crucial for successful, efficient and effective port system solutions, a philosophy that he also believes will be the key to Gottwald's future success and that he will continue to pursue as CEO.

Zusätzliche Informationen erteilt:

Gottwald Port Technology GmbH
Postfach 18 03 43
40570 Düsseldorf
Peter Klein
Tel.: +49 (0)211 7102-3355
Fax: +49 (0)211 7102-3660
Mobil: +49 (0)173 722 10 74
peter.klein@gottwald.com