Heidenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, May 2025 – The Voith Group has announced the appointment of Katharina Rath as Chief People Officer (CPO), a newly created role she will assume starting July 1, 2025. In this strategic position, Rath will focus on shaping a future-oriented global human resources strategy and further strengthening Voith’s corporate culture, aligning with the company’s vision of sustainable, forward-looking leadership.
Rath joins Voith with more than 20 years of international experience in senior HR leadership roles across Siemens AG, Continental AG, and DB Schenker AG, where she has consistently led transformation initiatives and aligned HR strategies to business growth. Her career spans global executive board roles, advisory positions, and organizational development leadership, bringing both strategic insight and operational excellence to Voith’s leadership team.
“I am very pleased that with Katharina Rath we have been able to gain a top manager for Voith who will drive the further development of our corporate and leadership culture,” said Voith CEO Dirk Hoke.
Prior to joining Voith, Rath most recently served as Member of the Board of Management (People & Organization) at DB Schenker, where she led HR operations for one of the world’s leading logistics providers, overseeing a global workforce of over 76,000 employees across more than 130 countries.
Before her time at DB Schenker, she held multiple leadership positions at Continental AG over a span of nearly eight years. These included Member of the Continental Automotive Board and SVP Human Relations, Vice President HR for Central Electronic Plants, and Head of Talent Management & Organizational Development, contributing significantly to HR transformation and leadership development across business units.
Earlier in her career, Rath worked at Siemens AG, serving as Head of Project Management for Asia Pacific in Shanghai, and before that as a Project Management Consultant at Siemens VDO Automotive. She began her professional journey as a Consultant, Trainer, and Coach at Sim.Learn.
In addition to her corporate roles, Rath currently serves on the Advisory Board of Workday and is a Board Member at NextGen Board e.V., reinforcing her commitment to shaping the future of leadership and HR innovation.
About Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company with a rich legacy dating back to 1867. With approximately 22,000 employees across more than 60 countries, the company generates annual sales of €5.2 billion. Voith offers a diversified portfolio across the energy, paper, raw materials, and transportation sectors, delivering sustainable technology solutions that drive decarbonization and innovation worldwide.
Voith technologies play a vital role in generating one-quarter of the world’s hydropower, while its paper machines contribute to a large share of global paper production. Its drive systems support mobility and industrial operations across rail, road, and marine platforms globally.
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