Clark Europe introduces new COO and R&D Director

Clark Europe GmbH, based in Duisburg, has expanded its management team. With this step, the industrial truck manufacturer wants to set the course for the upcoming generational change in good time.

In addition to his role as director of Sales and Marketing, Stefan Budweit will assume responsibility for operations management as COO (chief operating officer) with immediate effect. Budweit has been with Clark Europe since 2012 and can look back on more than 30 years of national and international experience in the field of material handling. Before joining Clark Europe, he worked as a key account manager for Toyota and Jungheinrich, among others. Budweit started his career at Clark Europe as Business Development Manager. Here he was responsible for the strategic orientation and further development of Clark Europe. As regional sales manager in Scandinavia and parts of Germany, he was also instrumental in expanding the sales activities of the forklift specialist.

Thomas Bach has also joined the management team as director of R&D and Purchasing with immediate effect. Bach started his career at Clark Europe as a development engineer in 2015 after completing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Here he demonstrated his skills in the design and development of industrial trucks and warehouse technology. In 2020, he took over as team leader of the design and development department, where he coordinates development and design projects, among other things. He also manages the collaboration with international suppliers and develops the product strategy and planning in coordination with Clark’s global plants in the USA, Korea, Vietnam and China.

“With the new strategic positioning of our management team, we have optimally equipped ourselves for the future so that we can meet future challenges and the increasing demands of our customers even better,” explains Rolf Eiten, president and CEO of Clark Europe, to whom the Sales and Finance divisions continue to report directly.