Nabaltec AG has announced significant changes to its Management Board, including the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer and the extension of its CEO's contract. Gunther Spitzer, who has served as CFO since 2017 and spent nearly 45 years with the company, will retire at his own request when his contract expires on December 31, 2026. The Supervisory Board has appointed Dirk A. Muller to succeed Spitzer, with his four-year term beginning December 1, 2026.
Dirk A. Muller brings extensive financial management experience to the role, having served in various leadership positions throughout his career. He studied business administration in Munster and began his professional journey at Ernst & Young in Dusseldorf, including a two-year assignment in Boston. After six years, he moved to Jackstadt GmbH as Head of Accounting and Tax before returning to EY in 1999, where he became a partner in the Equity Capital Markets/Transaction Services Division in 2002. His subsequent roles included serving as Managing Director and CFO at A.T.U in Weiden, CFO of SiC Processing GmbH, and Group CFO of the Onlineprinters Group. Since September 2024, Muller has been Group CFO of the Cologne-based Swash Group and holds professional qualifications as an auditor, tax consultant, and CPA.
Johannes Heckmann, CEO of Nabaltec AG, emphasized Muller's qualifications, stating that his existing familiarity with the company will facilitate a smooth transition. "Through his work on Nabaltec's Supervisory Board, Mr. Muller already knows our company, our structures and our business processes very well," Heckmann said. "This familiarity will enable a quick and smooth transition to the role of CFO and will provide valuable impetus for the further development of Nabaltec." Muller has been a member of Nabaltec's Supervisory Board since 2024 and will step down from that position on November 30, 2026, before assuming his new role.
In addition to the CFO transition, the Management Board contract of CEO Johannes Heckmann was extended by five years. This move represents a clear signal of stability and continuity in the company's leadership, underscoring the Supervisory Board's confidence in the current strategic direction. The company's leadership changes come as Nabaltec continues to develop its position in the specialty chemicals market. The company manufactures, develops, and distributes highly specialized products based on aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide through its two product segments, "Functional Fillers" and "Specialty Aluminas."
Nabaltec's product range includes eco-friendly flame retardant fillers and functional additives for the plastics industry, with applications in critical infrastructure such as cables in tunnels, airports, high-rise buildings, and electronic devices. The company also produces specialty oxides for use in technical ceramics, the refractory and polishing industries. With production sites in Germany and the US, Nabaltec plans to continue expanding its market position through capacity expansion, process optimization, and strategic product range extensions. The company aims to attain market leadership in each segment through its specialty products, as detailed in their corporate information available at https://www.nabaltec.de.
Gerhard Witzany, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, acknowledged Spitzer's contributions to the company's development over his lengthy tenure. "Mr. Spitzer has made a significant contribution to Nabaltec's development in nearly 45 years with the company - as a true home-grown talent - with a high level of expertise, reliability and great personal commitment," Witzany explained. The leadership transition occurs during a period when specialty chemical companies face increasing demand for environmentally friendly solutions and advanced materials for emerging technologies, including electric vehicles and sustainable construction materials.
