Lawo expands executive management board with new CFO Claus Gärtner

Lawo has expanded its executive management board with the addition of Claus Gärtner as CFO and ’Vorstand’.

“I have a strong passion for high-tech and high-quality products, and I enjoy working for family-owned companies because they allow for sustainable long-term strategies and fast decision-making. Joining Lawo as ‘Vorstand’ and CFO and being part of the company’s exciting journey in transforming media infrastructure technology was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Gärtner.

His international career has seen him excel at Rheinmetall, Smiths-Heimann and Heidelberg Engineering Group, where he held key executive positions and contributed significantly to the growth and success of each company.

“I am delighted to welcome Claus,” said Claudia Nowak, outgoing CFO and ‘Vorstand’. “I will be retiring next September after more than 35 years with the company. In Claus we have found a great fit for the company and the management team, and I’m looking forward to working with him over the next 11 months in our joint role as Chief Financial Officer and ‘Vorstand’ to prepare for a smooth transition of my responsibilities.”

Nowak will leave the company in September 2024 but will remain associated with Lawo by joining the company’s supervisory board.

In the six years since CEO Philipp Lawo stepped down from active management of the company, Lawo has demonstrated consistent growth with a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 12% per year, even in the face of pandemic-related disruptions and supply chain challenges. The company continues to be at the forefront of the transition in media infrastructure technology, championing the simplification of IP networking technology and the move to off-the-shelf IT-based solutions.