- Previous Managing Director Business Customers Hagen Rickmann leaves the company
- Klaus Werner becomes Managing Director Business Customers at Telekom Deutschland GmbH
- Focus on growth with innovative portfolio and digital solutions
Klaus Werner (55) will take over responsibility as Managing Director Business Customers at Telekom Deutschland effective by October 14, 2023. With this new role, he will remain part of the management team of Telekom Deutschland. Werner will continue to report directly to Srini Gopalan, Board member Deutsche Telekom AG and Managing Director, Telekom Deutschland GmbH. Klaus Werner succeeds Hagen Rickmann (54), who will take up new professional challenges outside the Group effective by October 13. "Hagen Rickmann has made a decisive contribution to the success of the Business Customers unit and to German SMEs. With the Digital X digitization initiative in particular, he has helped to leave a lasting mark on the digitization of our country," said Tim Höttges, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deutsche Telekom AG.
"I would like to thank my team for all the great things we have achieved and accomplished together. Now, after almost a decade and a half, it's time for me to move in a new direction," says Hagen Rickmann, explaining his departure. "I'm looking forward to new challenges."
Klaus Werner will take over the business customer unit of Telekom Deutschland GmbH with revenues of around EUR 9.2 billion (2022). Together with the approximately 10,500 employees, he intends to further expand the very good relationships with business customers in the areas of mobile communications, fixed network and IT solutions. In addition, he will focus more on an innovative portfolio and digital solutions such as security in the future.
Almost 30 years of experience within the Group
Klaus Werner looks back on almost 30 years of experience in various management positions within the Group. After graduating in economics, Klaus Werner began his career in 1994 as a controller at Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile Deutschland. In 2001, Werner moved to Group Controlling at Deutsche Telekom AG. There he was responsible for managing T-Mobile US and other mobile communications subsidiaries in Telekom's European footprint. Shortly after the Telekom Shop company was founded, Werner became Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2005. In addition, he took on the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) with the goal of creating a better customer experience. In 2008, Klaus Werner took over as CFO of T-Systems International GmbH, at the time a business with 10 billion euros in revenue in 22 countries. Since 2014, Klaus Werner has served as Chief Financial Officer of Telekom Deutschland GmbH. There he is responsible for the financial management of Telekom Deutschland as a whole, with revenues of EUR 24.5 billion (in 2022).
Telekom Deutschland CEO Srini Gopalan: "Hagen Rickmann has done a lot for the Group for 15 years and most recently for Telekom's Business Customers unit in Germany. I would like to thank him for his commitment, especially in the digitization of SMEs. During his time as Managing Director, Hagen brought his area of responsibility to the forefront of European B2B telecommunications companies and was able to ensure annual growth. At the same time, I am delighted that Klaus Werner has decided to take on this new role. Klaus has been part of our management team for many years and knows the challenges very well. We are thus ensuring a smooth transition."
About Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom Group profile
About T-Systems: Company profile
