September 12, 2022 - (Mühltal, GER) Since Riese & Müller was founded almost 30 years ago by Markus Riese and Heiko Müller, the company has grown from being a folding bike start-up to a global player in the E-Bike market with over 900 employees and a turnover of around €350 million. While Heiko Müller and Dr Sandra Wolf were primarily responsible for organisational and corporate matters, the focus of Markus Riese’s work has been on innovation and product development.
In order to formally reflect these main areas of focus in future, Markus Riese will be stepping back from his executive duties and relinquished the role of CEO on 1 August 2022. In future, he will focus all his efforts on his role as a driver of innovation, a source of inspiration and a knowledge broker in the Development department.
“My great passion lies in the development of E-Bikes and innovative detailed solutions. I want to inspire people with our bikes and advance new forms of mobility – I can’t imagine doing anything else. One of the factors in Riese & Müller’s success has always been the fact that its corporate work has been performed with this same passion. Heiko and Sandra clearly share this passion”, explains Markus Riese, founder and partner of Riese & Müller.
To ensure that the shareholder structure reflects this responsibility, Dr Sandra Wolf will also take on shares in the company. “For almost 30 years, our great strength has lain in the fact that we respect each other and can be ourselves. I am delighted that, in future, all three of us will be able to focus even better on what we love doing and, as shareholders, will continue to control the future of the company”, explains Heiko Müller, founder and managing partner of Riese & Müller.
In future, Heiko Müller and Dr Sandra Wolf will be supported by a newly established Management Board, alongside the heads of departments responsible. The Management Board consists of seven colleagues, who will advise on company-wide decisions and jointly manage and represent the company. The members of the new Management Board are all executives of the company. They will continue to manage their own departments in addition to their duties on the Board. The Management Board is organised as follows: Alexander Eilhauer (Chief Operating Officer), Kai Schmidt (Chief Technology Officer), Christine Vollmer (Chief People Officer), Jörg Matheis (Chief Communication Officer), Rainer De Mey (Chief Digital Officer), Timo Gührer (Chief Sales Officer) und Markus Papke (Chief Innovation Officer).
“Riese & Müller is a dynamic company in a challenging market. As members of Management, it is our responsibility to ensure that the company is well positioned to face every situation and involve many perspectives in decisions with far-reaching consequences. These structural changes will help us to take Riese & Müller into a stable and secure future”, continues Dr Sandra Wolf, Managing Partner of Riese & Müller.
The new positions and roles have been effective since 1 August 2022.
About Riese & Müller
Riese & Müller is a German manufacturer of premium E-Bikes, Cargo Bikes and folding bikes. Founded in 1993 by Markus Riese and Heiko Müller, the owner-managed company now employs 900 people at its premises in Mühltal near Darmstadt and sells its products worldwide through an exclusive dealer network. Alongside the founder Heiko Müller, Dr Sandra Wolf has operated as CEO since 2013, with responsibility for the strategic orientation of Riese & Müller. Markus Riese is involved in the company both as a partner and expert in innovation and product development. Riese & Müller is helping to shape the mobility of tomorrow with its pioneering products and as the specialist in Cargo Bikes and fast HS bikes. The company is synonymous with a sustainable lifestyle, user-focused product development and innovative E-Bike technologies. In addition to the ongoing evolution of its products, Riese & Müller’s overall strategy includes taking responsibility for people and the environment. In its activities, the company is guided by its four pillars of responsibility: culture, ecology, social responsibility and economics. For more information visit here.
