Ex-Thyssenkrupp steel board member Denecke-Arnold takes over as head of Salzgitter Flachstahl

The Supervisory Board of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH (SZFG) appointed Dr. Heike Denecke-Arnold (54) as the new Chair of the Management Board at its latest meeting. She will assume the position on 5/1/2025, succeeding Ulrich Grethe (63) who will leave the company as agreed on 12/31/2024 to enter retirement. The existing Management Board will report to the Executive Board of Salzgitter AG in the interim.

Heike Denecke-Arnold studied metallurgy and materials engineering at RWTH Aachen University and holds a doctorate. She commands many years of leadership and management experience in the steel industry, most recently as Chief Operating Officer on the Executive Board of competitor Thyssenkrupp Steel. Following a weeks-long dispute between the Steel Executive Board and headquarters, Dennecke-Arnold resigned from his position at Thyssenkrupp Steel at the end of August, along with Steel CEO Bernhard Osburg and HR Director Markus Grolms.
Gunnar Groebler, Chair of the Supervisory Board of SZFG and CEO of Salzgitter AG, commented as follows on the appointment. “We are delighted to have recruited a proven steel expert and natural leader for our Group in Dr. Denecke-Arnold. We are currently engaged in transitioning to low-carbon production processes. I am certain that with her extensive know-how, Dr. Denecke-Arnold will integrate and drive the further implementation of Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking forward, with the prime aim of creating value-added solutions for our customers. This will also help to safeguard our location here and secure future-proof steel production in Germany.” Gunnar Groebler went continued with the following remarks. “Ulrich Grethe has played a decisive role at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH. His journey from trainee to Chair of the Management Board and member of the Group Management Board is a testament to what can be achieved with verve, expertise and personal integrity. He initiated and shaped many of the trailblazing strategies of the past decades. Ulrich Grethe has been instrumental in ensuring that Salzgitter as a steel location has the necessary potential to maintain its leadership role.”
Dr. Heike Denecke-Arnold says: “ I am firmly convinced that steel will remain the number one industrial material and that it can continue to be viably produced in Germany. The transformation already underway proves that we are on the right track.”
Source: Salzgitter AG