Ching Pong Quek

The KION Group GmbH supervisory board has created the new executive board position of chief Asia Pacific officer to be filled by Ching Pong Quek.

Quek, 45, has been CEO of Linde (China) Forklift Truck Corp Ltd since 2005 and has also been president and CEO of KION's entire Asia business since 2008. The supervisory board appointed him as a member of KION Group's executive board from 11 January, 2013. He will take on this new role in addition to his existing responsibilities.

Existing Linde and STILL brand management will also be more involved in direct responsibility for the KION Group as a whole. The CEO of Linde Material Handling GmbH, Theodor Maurer, 53, and the CEO of STILL GmbH, Bert-Jan Knoef, 52, have been appointed to the KION Group executive board. They will continue to be in charge of their respective brand companies.

Gordon Riske, 55, continues as CEO of the KION Group, heading up the expanded, five-strong executive board. The group's CFO, Dr Thomas Toepfer, 40, has also been appointed labor relations director by the supervisory board. Klaus Hofer, 55, who has been the executive board member responsible for human resources, is leaving the company.

The KION Group - comprising the six brands Linde, STILL, Fenwick, OM STILL, Baoli and Voltas - is Europe's market leader in industrial trucks and claims to be the leading international supplier in China.

The Group employed about 22,000 people and generated revenue of around EUR4.4 billion (USD5.9 billion) in 2011.