CFO Kay Lang and Jens Nillson (© Maks Richter)
Germany - Jens Nilsson was appointed chief financial officer and managing director at d&b audiotechnik on 1 December.
He will work alongside CEO Amnon Harman and COO Markus Strohmeier and be responsible for finance, sales finance, IT and facility management.
Nilsson is replacing CFO Kay Lange, who will leave the post after 31 years with d&b. Lange will assist with the handover and has a commitment with the company until the end of 2018.
Harman comments: “We look forward to working with Jens Nilsson as new CFO at d&b audiotechnik. He has the right experience to strengthen the management team on its way from a loudspeaker systems manufacturer to become an audio technology and solution company.”
He adds: “Kay Lange’s contribution to the growth, successes and spirit of d&b audiotechnik can’t be valued highly enough. We plan a secure handover for the next months.”
Lange first announced his decision to leave in 2016, “to spend more time with family and pursue life-long dreams”. He joined d&b in 1986 when the company and its then 10 staff had just moved from a garage into a former furniture shop. With a diploma in technically-oriented business administration from the University of Stuttgart, he became instrumental for the start-up. In 1989, when the number of staff had increased to over 20, Lange had three months to find a new location, choosing the Backnang premises, the site of a former spinning company. This decision still pays off today as d&b continues to expand its 25,000 sq.m. headquarters, with over 350 staff in Backnang.
Among Lange’s other achievements is the d&b Finance-Series. In 2009, the company introduced a sales financing programme with international scope transferring approaches e.g. of the automotive industry to the pro-audio industry.
(Jim Evans)

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