In a statement, SMS group said Jacobs University Bremen president Katja Windt will join the company on 1 April as a managing director, overseeing the digital solutions and electrical and automation systems divisions.

Windt, who holds a doctorate in engineering and has implemented digitalization and logistics projects for steelmakers, has served as the university’s president since 2014.

Prior to that, she taught global production logistics at the university.

She will succeed Harald Rackel, who currently serves as SMS group’s head of digitalization.

Rackel is stepping down to take on new responsibilities with SMS group subsidiary elexis AG. There, he will be taking over as chief executive on 1 July, when the company’s current top executive, Siegfried Koepp, retires.