Palfinger: Supervisory Board Appoints Alexander Susanek As New COO

The Managing Director of BMW Motoren GmbH in Steyr and previous Head of Engine Production at the BMW Group will take on the role of COO on the PALFINGER AG executive board as of July 1, 2023 and will be responsible for the ongoing transformation process.

The former Managing Director of BMW Motoren GmbH in Steyr and previous Head of Engine Production at the BMW Group will take on the role of COO on the Palfinger AG executive board as of July 1, 2023 and will be largely responsible for the ongoing transformation process.

“With Alexander Susanek as COO, we are securing the transformation of Palfinger into a leading global technology company on a long-term and sustainable basis,” says Hubert Palfinger, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Palfinger AG. In particular, his extensive experience in various operational areas and key positions at both MAN Trucks and the BMW Group makes the native German ideal for the position, says Palfinger. Within the organization of the German automotive group, Susanek was responsible, among other things, for prototyping passenger cars in Munich and for the world’s largest BMW Group engine plant in Steyr, Upper Austria. By joining the executive board at Palfinger, Susanek succeeds Martin Zehnder, who has not extended his mandate following 15 years at Palfinger. 

Working closely together with CEO Andreas Klauser and CFO Felix Strohbichler, Alexander Susanek will drive forward the consistent implementation of the company’s Strategy 2030. “With its Vision and Strategy 2030, Palfinger is equipped with an ambitious answer to the challenges of the future. I am looking forward to the opportunity to proactively drive Palfinger’s transformation and growth with my colleagues on the executive board. Together with the entire Palfinger team, we will continue to expand our global market leadership,” says Susanek.

Susanek studied mechanical and industrial engineering at the Technical University of Munich and then completed his doctorate in business administration at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. He began his career in 2005 at MAN Truck & Bus. Having held various specialist and management positions, he managed the heavy truck assembly plant in Niepolomice, Poland, from 2011 to 2014 as General Manager.
In 2014 he moved to the BMW Group. Following his work as Head of Prototype Car Construction in Munich and Assembly Manager at the Regensburg plant, he took over management of the world’s largest BMW Group engine plant in Steyr in 2020 as Managing Director of BMW Motoren GmbH. Since November 2022, he has been responsible for worldwide engine production at BMW. Alexander Susanek is married and has three children.

“Alexander Susanek knows from experience the challenges that need to be resolved during a transformation process. He played a decisive and proactive role in shaping the automotive industry’s transformation towards electrification,” emphasizes Hubert Palfinger. “Gaining this expertise and experience for Palfinger is a great asset for the supervisory board and the company. I am pleased to welcome him as COO to the executive board of Palfinger AG,” said Palfinger.