11.06.23
RKW Group announced that its Supervisory Board has appointed Eric Le Lay as CEO effective Nov. 6, 2023. The Supervisory Board has been looking for a long-term successor to Peter Baumgartner for some time and is glad to announce Eric Le Lay’s appointment, who brings nearly three decades of experience in the industry. “With Eric we have found a global executive with extensive experience in our industry, mostly at Amcor and Huhtamaki. Eric has been successfully leading transformations of global businesses. His experience will be essential to continue RKW’s strategic transformation,” says Raphael Müller, RKW’s chairman of the Supervisory Board.
As anticipated, Peter Baumgartner has decided to step down as CEO of RKW after successfully leading the company over the last two years. He will remain as an advisor to the new CEO and the shareholder family through the end of the calendar year to ensure a smooth transition.
Le Lay joins RKW from Huhtamaki where he most recently served as president of the Foodservice & Fiber division and Member of the Global Executive Team overseeing 6500 employees and €1.4 billion of turnover globally. “I am very excited to join RKW, a family-owned company with a proud 65-year history and an excellent reputation in the industry. RKW is a leading plastic films manufacturer with a global footprint and international recognition, serving a broad range of markets across the globe. I look forward to leveraging my experience to help RKW serve its customers globally, enabling them to achieve superior, innovative and more sustainable solutions to meet their needs. I would like to thank Peter who has built the foundation for our future success through his transformation plan,” says Le Lay.
Baumgartner says, “It has been a privilege to lead RKW as CEO for the past two years, and I am very proud of the many accomplishments achieved by the RKW team during my tenure. The Supervisory Board and I have full confidence in Eric and in his ability to take the company forward into its next phase together with the leadership team.”
“Eric has a proven track record in his career, highlighted by both customer-centric collaboration to drive growth and rigorous operational efficiency. He has extensive experience in developing global strategies,” says Phillip Müller, member of the Supervisory Board.
Raphael Müller concluds, “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I thank Peter for his leadership. His contribution over the last two years has been instrumental to set the path for RKW’s strategic transformation and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”
As anticipated, Peter Baumgartner has decided to step down as CEO of RKW after successfully leading the company over the last two years. He will remain as an advisor to the new CEO and the shareholder family through the end of the calendar year to ensure a smooth transition.
Le Lay joins RKW from Huhtamaki where he most recently served as president of the Foodservice & Fiber division and Member of the Global Executive Team overseeing 6500 employees and €1.4 billion of turnover globally. “I am very excited to join RKW, a family-owned company with a proud 65-year history and an excellent reputation in the industry. RKW is a leading plastic films manufacturer with a global footprint and international recognition, serving a broad range of markets across the globe. I look forward to leveraging my experience to help RKW serve its customers globally, enabling them to achieve superior, innovative and more sustainable solutions to meet their needs. I would like to thank Peter who has built the foundation for our future success through his transformation plan,” says Le Lay.
Baumgartner says, “It has been a privilege to lead RKW as CEO for the past two years, and I am very proud of the many accomplishments achieved by the RKW team during my tenure. The Supervisory Board and I have full confidence in Eric and in his ability to take the company forward into its next phase together with the leadership team.”
“Eric has a proven track record in his career, highlighted by both customer-centric collaboration to drive growth and rigorous operational efficiency. He has extensive experience in developing global strategies,” says Phillip Müller, member of the Supervisory Board.
Raphael Müller concluds, “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I thank Peter for his leadership. His contribution over the last two years has been instrumental to set the path for RKW’s strategic transformation and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”