Dr. Marc Baumgartner appointed new CEO of STARK Deutschland
STARK Deutschland announces a leadership change as the company appoints a new Chief Executive Officer. The Supervisory Board of STARK Deutschland has appointed Dr. Marc Baumgartner as the new CEO. He will assume the position as CEO on 1 January 2026 and will succeed Michael Knüppel, who becomes Senior Executive Advisor for STARK Group.
Dr. Baumgartner joined STARK Deutschland as Chief Sales Officer for its generalist (GBM) business in February 2025. He brings more than 20 years of industry experience, including senior management roles at Würth and Building Materials Switzerland.
At STARK Deutschland, Dr. Baumgartner has led the generalist businesses, Raab Karcher and Keramundo, and played a key role in driving a transformation agenda and shaping the businesses’ recent strategy, which focuses on SMEs in the renovation, maintenance and improvement market.
Group CEO, Søren P. Olesen, says:
“In the past year, Dr. Marc Baumgartner has taken remarkable steps in sustainably transforming and developing the GBM organisation. He brings a wealth of experience in managing large organisations, which he can put to excellent use in his new role as CEO at STARK Deutschland. With this step, we are also implementing a generational change at the top of STARK Germany."
Dr. Marc Baumgartner says:
“STARK Deutschland has been on an impressive journey under Michael Knüppels leadership. Today, the business is a clear German market leader and has great growth potential once the markets pick up again. As the future CEO, I look forward to contributing all my experience to the successful expansion of this business. With our clear focus on customer benefits and our strong teams, we can achieve great successes together.”
Michael Knüppel transfers into roles for STARK Group and continues in German builders’ associations
Michael Knüppel assume the role of Senior Executive Advisor for STARK Group, where he will leverage his extensive experience and network on M&A projects and in STARK Sourcing. In addition, he will continue to represent STARK Deutschland in the German builders’ associations.
Michael Knüppel joined our company as CEO in January 2021, bringing more than 40 years of experience and an extensive network within the building materials industry.
Under his leadership, STARK Deutschland has grown significantly. The company has expanded into Austria and entered the roofing market, while accelerating its civils business through strategic acquisitions. Despite recent market downturns, the German & Austrian business unit has increased net sales by around 25% since his arrival. At the same time, STARK Deutschland has consolidated 15 brands to four core brands, thereby laying the foundation for focused, sales-oriented management.
Søren P. Olesen says:
"Michael Knüppel has done an excellent job over the past five years and successfully guided the company through turbulent times. After several years of growth, market conditions have challenged our industry and temporarily paused our growth journey. Michael Knüppel and his team have successfully navigated these difficult times and implemented significant operational changes to mitigate the downturn and position the company for future success. I am delighted that he will be supporting us at group level with all his experience in the future."
Contacts
Kaspar Bach HabersaatGroup Chief Communications Officer
Tel:+45 4092 8881kaspar.bach.habersaat@starkgroup.dkImages
About STARK Group
STARK Group is a leading business-to-business merchant and distributor of heavy building materials for the construction industry in Europe, with a strategic focus on serving professional builders from its more than 1,050 branches. STARK Group has net sales of EUR 7.76 billion, serves a portfolio of 450,000 customers and collaborates with approx. 15,000 suppliers. Headquartered in Denmark, STARK Group employs more than 18,500 employees in Germany, Austria, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. The Group holds leading national or regional position in all markets.
STARK Group holds SBTi-approved and validated net zero climate targets for 2050, aligned with the 1.5°C pathway of the Paris Agreement. The company is a proud signatory of the UN Global Compact and ranks among the top 1% of companies worldwide, earning EcoVadis’ Platinum rating for sustainability performance.
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