Austria’s Strabag has appointed Stefan Kratochwill as its new chief executive with immediate effect following the sudden death of its former chief executive, Klemens Haselsteiner, on 17 January.
Haselsteiner, aged 44, died from an aneurysm while staying at a spa in the Austrian town of Obervellach.
Kratochwill was previously managing director of the construction machinery subsidiary Strabag BMTI, with responsibility for 3,000 employees internationally.
He studied engineering management and mechanical engineering at Vienna’s technical university TU Wien, and joined the Strabag Group as a trainee in 2003.
He developed the group’s construction equipment subsidiary in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and later managed the European track construction machinery business.
Kerstin Gelbmann, chairwoman of the Strabag SE’s supervisory board, said: “Stefan Kratochwill not only has a long career with the Group, he has also played a key role in shaping the company’s new strategy through his intersectional function as head of BMTI.
“With the conversion of construction machinery and vehicles to new technologies, he is leveraging one of the most important tools for achieving climate neutrality. At the same time, he is advancing the further standardisation and digitalisation of construction processes, something that is urgently needed in view of the shortage of skilled workers in the industry. Stefan Kratochwill will seamlessly and successfully continue Strabag’s Strategy 2030 together with his colleagues on the Management Board and the Supervisory Board.”
Kratochwill said: “To achieve our corporate goal of becoming climate neutral by 2040, we will need innovations and new technologies. Strabag is a pioneer when it comes to triggering precisely these technological leaps together with our partners. I am convinced that technological progress will give us an even stronger market position in line with our financial targets.”
He added: “The tragic loss of Klemens Haselsteiner has affected us all deeply. It is a personal priority for me and a privilege to continue his vision for Strabag. Klemens saw Strabag as his extended family. Starting out as a trainee, I grew up in this family myself. My promise, not only to our external stakeholders but especially to our employees, is that together we will continue on the path into a sustainable future.”
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