Thyssenkrupp Steel appoints Marie Jaroni new chief executive
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has appointed chief sales and chief transformation officer Marie Jaroni as its new chief executive, effective 1 November, after the contract with predecessor Dennis Grimm was terminated by mutual agreement, the steelmaker says.
Grimm, who never took the ceo title, instead leading the company as spokesman of the executive board and chief operating officer, was rumoured to be stepping down earlier in the week.
Jaroni, who only joined tk Steel’s executive board in October 2024, has also had her contract extended for five years from 1 November 2025. Chief financial officer Philipp Conze has also had his contract extended for the same duration.
Grimm “assumed responsibility for the steel business at thyssenkrupp during a challenging phase and, in addition to numerous operational improvements, played a decisive role in shaping a new industrial concept and initiating the urgently needed restructuring. The Supervisory Board would like to express its gratitude to Dennis Grimm and wishes him all the best and continued success,” says tk Steel supervisory board chairwoman Ilse Henne.
Jaroni assumes interim responsibility for production operations, strategic corporate management, and additional functional areas. The position of chief production officer will be filled in a structured process as soon as possible. Jaroni’s hitherto responsibilities will be taken over on an interim basis by the current head of sales, Georgios Giovanakis.
“Marie Jaroni has succeeded in setting the course for steel with strategic vision, persuasiveness, and great commitment. With her transition to the CEO position, she now has the opportunity to lead thyssenkrupp Steel into a successful future with her management team,” Henne notes.
Jaroni “conducted the crucial negotiations on the restructuring collective agreement in a goal-oriented, consensus-driven, and fair manner. The same applies to the ongoing discussions on the conclusion of the company agreements. This has created a strong foundation of trust for her new role. Philipp Conze stands for the transparency and clarity we need on the way forward,” says supervisory board deputy chairman Knut Giesler.
Adam Smith Austria
SSAB appoints Johnny Sjöström new chief executive
Johnny Sjöström, currently head of the SSAB Special Steels division, has been appointed president and chief executive of SSAB, Kallanish learns.
He will start in his new position on 28 October, succeeding Martin Lindqvist who previously announced he is leaving the company for a board career. Sjöström has been head of SSAB Special Steels since 2019. In that role, he has worked to develop and grow the company’s business for special steels and overseen the green transformation of SSAB’s steelworks in Oxelösund. He was formerly ceo of Uddeholm and held different management positions at Outokumpu Stainless Oy.
Sjöström “has solid technical knowledge and extensive experience within the industry in the Nordic region and internationally,” says Lennart Evrell, SSAB chairman. “With his background and experience, he is the right person to lead SSAB forward.”
Lindqvist will remain president and ceo until 27 October.
Christian Koehl Germany