First steps in the succession planning of the company management
The long-term management of the company is to be secured in the sense of the family values. Therefore, Meleghy Automotive deals with the strategic succession planning at an early stage. The first step in the transformation process is to establish a six-member management team under the leadership of the founding families and managing partners, Dr. Gyula Meleghy, Dr. Thomas Werle and Michael Scharff. Current plans include the introduction of a leadership team that is responsible for the defined six functions and reports to the top-management. This is intended to secure the long-term management of the company in the spirit of the family entrepreneurs and to establish it over the approximately 10-year process. The introduction of Oliver Diessner as Managing Director of Meleghy Automotive in November 2021 was the first step towards appointing the team.
“We often mention how important the training of young people and our employees is to us. Particularly with regard to strategic succession planning, it was important for us to take this step promptly. We as management and owners want to be able to mentor our leadership team and pass on the family values and visions at an early stage,” explains Dr. Thomas Werle (CTO/COO). The composition of the team will still take place by the end of quarter 1/2022 and will be communicated accordingly. “We have already been able to achieve quite a bit through the change management process and are hoping for even clearer structures and improvements in the interfaces between the individual departments, which have a lot to do with each other in operational terms. This will enable us to work on the company’s strategic goals in a more focused manner,” explains Dr. Gyula Meleghy (CEO).
The managing partners want to secure the successful, almost 10-year-old company and the jobs it has created in a future-oriented manner. “Therefore, in addition to the strategic and economic activities, it is already close to our hearts to work on a succession plan in order to establish suitable executives for our company who will manage the company operationally in the long term in our sense and the family-oriented values,” Dr. Gyula Meleghy (CEO) explains. The succession process is supported by external consultants and will be a process over several years until at least 2026. “We have developed an initial structure, which is now being filled with suitable people. For this, we have found valued colleagues from within the company as well as external people who bring a breath of fresh air,” adds Michael Scharff (CFO).
The manufacturer of complex car body components for the international automotive industry, Meleghy Automotive, was founded in 2012 by the operating managing partners, Dr. Gyula Meleghy (CEO), Dr. Thomas Werle (CTO/COO) and Michael Scharff (CFO). Since then, the company has grown to eight locations in three countries, increased its sales to approx. 300 million euros and employs approx. 1300 people.
