The successor to Fendt CEO, Peter-Josef Paffen, who is retiring after ten years at the helm, is named as Christoph Gröblinghoff (53), who has been the Vice President Distribution Management for Dealership Development in Europe and the Middle East (EME) AGCO International GmbH, in Neuhausen, Switzerland, for five years.

The successor to long-standing Head of Finance, Michael Gschwender, will be Ingrid Bussjaeger-Martin (48), whose most recent role was Director of Controlling at Fendt.

Dr Heribert Reiter, Vice President and Managing Director of Research and Development, Purchasing and Customer Service, and Ekkehart Gläser, Vice President and Managing Director of Production, will remain Managing Directors at AGCO/Fendt.

Martin H. Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of the AGCO Corporation: "Together with his team, Peter-Josef Paffen has led the cutting-edge brand of Fendt to new heights in the last ten years. With the Fendt 2020 Strategy and bold progression plans, Fendt has achieved profitable growth, fully expanding the Fendt Full-Line range and significantly driving forward the brand's progress in terms of globalisation."

Under Pfaffen's leadership, the Fendt team saw through strategic large-scale projects of the AGCO Group, such as extending the cab plant in Asbach-Bäumenheim into the AGCO Centre of Excellence for Cabs for multiple AGCO brands, migrating the production of sprayers from the Netherlands to Hohenmölsen/Saxony-Anhalt and building the AGCO Digital Centre, with around 150 stylish new workplaces, at the Fendt headquarters in Marktoberdorf.

"An impressive portfolio showcasing Fendt as the paradigm for successful brand placement. Peter-Josef Paffen has played a significant part in the success and brilliance of the Fendt brand, with top prospects for future global growth. On behalf of myself, the AGCO Board, the Fendt Supervisory Board, the Works Council and every AGCO employee around the world, it is with the deepest sincerity that I'd like to thank Peter-Josef Paffen for his outstanding work. We wish him all the best for the future, with a great deal more downtime to enjoy his recently discovered passion for hunting, and other upcoming ventures," says Martin Richenhagen.

Michael Gschwender looks back on 48 years of Fendt and AGCO

When Michael Gschwender (63), Vice President and Managing Director of Finance and IT, leaves his office as Fendt Managing Director at the end of December 2019, he will look back on 48 eventful years at Fendt and AGCO. Gschwender made the very rare journey from apprentice to Managing Director in the same company.

Appointing Michael Gschwender in 2003 as Managing Director Finance and MIS, and later to Vice President Finance and MIS, was a great show of trust from the AGCO Top Management at the time in the purely German AGCO/Fendt Executive Board. In his time at Fendt, Gschwender earned himself an outstanding reputation as a skilled manager for the entire division of Controlling and IT, as well as Managing Director in the many subsidiaries of AGCO GmbH and AGCO International GmbH in Germany and Europe: AGCO Deutschland GmbH, AGCO Hohenmölsen GmbH, AGCO Feucht GmbH, Fendt GmbH, Fendt Immobilien GmbH, AGCO Austria GesmbH and Fendt Italiana GmbH until the merger in 2015.

Gschwender built up a powerful and internationally networked Controlling and IT team at all AGCO locations in Germany with the departments of Business/Controlling, Accounting, Controlling, Legal and IT. One IT project of great importance was and still is to introduce the SAP goods and financial management system at all Fendt locations.

Martin H. Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of the AGCO Corporation: "Michael Gschwender has been extremely successful in expanding the Finance and IT business unit in Marktoberdorf, leading with integrity and competence. Fendt is by far the most successful brand in the AGCO Group. On behalf of myself, all the AGCO shareholders, the AGCO Board and every AGCO employee, I'd like to extend our deepest thanks to Michael Gschwender for his outstanding work and we wish him every success in the future."