Knauer reports that Alexander Bunz has been appointed to fill the position vacated by departing managing director Bernward Rittgerodt, effective 1 January 2007
Rittgerodt was employed by Knauer for more than ten years, first as manager of the sales department and then as co-managing director as of 1988.
Based in the Zehlendorf district of Berlin, Knauer develops, manufactures and markets laboratory instrumentation (HPLC systems and osmometers) worldwide.
In 2006, exports accounted for 70% of turnover while revenue increased by 8%.
Rittgerodt will voluntarily give up his position at the end of the year to establish his own business.
He will remain closely tied to Knauer as he distributes Knauer instruments in Bavaria.
Bunz completed his diploma and doctoral studies at TU Hamburg-Harburg where he graduated with a doctoral degree in chemical engineering.
He also holds an executive MBA from the TSM Business School in Twente, Netherlands.
As a postdoc, Bunz was involved in developing new separation media for DNA using capillary electrophoresis at the University of California, Berkeley.
At Degussa in Marl, Germany, Bunz worked for five years as group and laboratory leader for physical properties and process simulation, as well as knowledge manager.
He then moved on for the next five years to work as the managing director of Kruss in Hamburg, Germany, a medium-sized company, where he was responsible for the development, production and marketing of scientific instruments worldwide.
Bunz came to Knauer in September 2006 and will officially join owner and CEO Alexandra Knauer as managing director on 1 January 2007.
Together they will lead the family-owned business to further growth and success.
On 1 October 2007 the Knauer company will celebrate its 45th anniversary.
