wienerberger, a leading international provider of ecological building envelope and infrastructure solutions, announced today that CEO Heimo Scheuch is stepping down with immediate effect for personal health reasons. The Supervisory Board has accepted his request for early termination of his mandate and appointed Gerhard Hanke, Chief Operating Officer Central & East and Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board, as Interim CEO. The company has initiated a structured search for a permanent successor.
Gerhard Hanke, who has been with wienerberger for more than 25 years, brings extensive experience to the role. He served as CFO from 2021 to 2025, has been COO Central & East since March 2025, and became Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board in June 2026. The responsibilities of Dagmar Steinert (CFO) and Harald Schwarzmayr (COO West) remain unchanged.
Heimo Scheuch, who led wienerberger since 2009, was instrumental in transforming the company from a traditional brick manufacturer into a leading international provider of innovative and ecological building material and infrastructure solutions across Europe and North America. Under his leadership, wienerberger expanded its geographic footprint and built a strong position in water and energy infrastructure alongside its core building envelope business.
Peter Steiner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the entire board: "On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I want to express my profound gratitude to Heimo for what he has built in 17 years as CEO. When he took the helm in 2009, wienerberger was a brick manufacturer. Today, it is a leading international group with more than 20,000 employees, a resilient business model spanning the entire building envelope and infrastructure, and a clear sustainability agenda. This successful transformation is his achievement. We deeply respect his decision to prioritize his health, and we wish him a full and swift recovery. Gerhard Hanke is an experienced, deeply trusted leader who knows every dimension of wienerberger. With him, we are well positioned to ensure continuity and pursue our goals while we conduct a thorough search for the right successor."
Heimo Scheuch commented: "wienerberger has been my home for thirty years – from my first days as an assistant to leading this group as CEO. I would like to thank our customers, business partners and shareholders as well as the Supervisory Board, my fellow Managing Board members, and the global wienerberger team for their trust and commitment over the past years. We have achieved a great deal together, and I am proud of every step. I had looked forward to continuing as CEO as planned, but the time has come to focus on my health. I am leaving the company in the best possible hands and have no doubt that wienerberger will continue its success story."
This leadership change comes at a critical time for wienerberger, which has been navigating a dynamic construction market and advancing its sustainability agenda. The company's ability to maintain momentum during this transition will be tested, but the appointment of an insider with deep operational and financial expertise suggests a seamless continuity. wienerberger will present its results for the second quarter and first half of 2026 as planned on 12 August 2026.
For further information, please contact: Claudia Hajdinyak, Head of Corporate Communications Wienerberger AG, t +43 664 828 31 83, claudia.hajdinyak@wienerberger.com; Alfredo Sibilia, Senior Officer Investor Relations Wienerberger AG, t +43 664 812 10 72, investor@wienerberger.com.
