Deutsche Messe: Köckler remains CEO until 2029

<p>The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Messe AG decided at its meeting on August 31 to extend the contract of Dr. Jochen Köckler as Chairman of the Board of Management until 2029. This means that the Hannover-based trade fair company is relying on personnel continuity at the top during a phase of economic and strategic change.</p><h2>Experience at the helm of the company</h2><p>Dr. Jochen Köckler has been a member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG since 2012 and took over as Chairman of the Board in 2017. With the now decided contract extension, he will lead the company over a significantly extended period. Together with his fellow board members Dr. Holger Feist and Konstantin Kühl, he is to advance the company's transformation initiative further.</p><h2>Strategic course to be continued</h2><p>In a statement on the contract extension, Dr. Köckler emphasized the importance of continuity for the company's further development:</p><blockquote>"I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for the confidence they have placed in me and I look forward to working together with our employees and my fellow board members, Dr. Holger Feist and Konstantin Kühl, to tackle the challenges ahead. Our priority now is to consistently continue on the path we have chosen. I am convinced that with a strong team, strong trade fairs and the courage to change, we will successfully master the challenges of the coming years."</blockquote><p>These words underscore that Deutsche Messe AG intends to use the coming years to further strengthen its competitiveness in the international trade fair business. The expansion of the trade fair portfolio is regarded as a central area of action, as is the consistent development of digital formats and international networks.</p><h2>Significance for the trade fair business</h2><p>The Supervisory Board's decision comes at a time when Deutsche Messe AG is further sharpening its strategic direction. As organizer of internationally significant specialized trade fairs – including HANNOVER MESSE as one of the world's leading industrial trade fairs – the company faces the task of integrating technological trends such as digitalization and automation into its trade fair portfolio while simultaneously ensuring economic stability.</p><p>With the long-term contract extension, the Supervisory Board signals confidence in the previous management and in the management team's ability to successfully continue the begun transformation process. For exhibitors, partners and the trade fair industry as a whole, this means above all one thing: planning security for the coming years.</p><h3>Focus on team and change</h3><p>Noteworthy about the communication surrounding the contract extension is the repeated reference to teamwork and willingness to change. Both the collaboration within the three-member board and the courage to further develop existing structures are cited as success factors for the coming years. This suggests that Deutsche Messe AG does not regard its transformation process as completed, but rather as an ongoing strategic task.</p><h2>Conclusion and outlook</h2><p>With the contract extension until 2029, Deutsche Messe AG creates a reliable management structure for the coming years. Continuity at the helm of the company is likely to play an important role, particularly in the further development of the trade fair portfolio and international positioning. How the announced transformation will concretely result in new formats, trade fair dates or strategic partnerships will be seen in the coming editions of the flagship trade fairs – not least at the next HANNOVER MESSE, which traditionally serves as a barometer for industrial trends.</p>