Gerlingen. Surprising CEO change at Bosch: Stefan Hartung is stepping down. The 60-year-old will resign his mandate as Chairman of the Management Board on June 30 at his own request, the technology group based in Gerlingen near Stuttgart announced. Hartung wants to dedicate himself to new social and entrepreneurial tasks outside the Bosch Group in the future. His successor is to be the current Vice Chairman Christian Fischer.
The change is being made in close coordination and agreement with the top level at Bosch. "The shareholders and the Supervisory Board regret Stefan Hartung's decision and expressly thank him for his great services in the prudent leadership of the company during an exceptionally challenging phase," said Supervisory Board Chairman Stefan Asenkerschbaumer. Hartung had purposefully continued the powerful development of Bosch.
"We respect Stefan Hartung's personal decision and wish him every success for his future," Asenkerschbaumer is further quoted. The manager is also the managing shareholder of Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, the power center of the group. It holds the majority of voting rights in the world's largest automotive supplier.
Hartung's contract had only been extended
Bosch had only extended Hartung's contract last fall. Details were not disclosed at the time. But according to reports, a term until 2031 was agreed. The Dortmund native and former McKinsey manager, who is considered lively and open, began his Bosch career in 2004 at the home appliance subsidiary BSH. In 2013, he joined the management board.
Hartung took over the top position of the foundation group at the beginning of 2022. With his early departure, the qualified mechanical engineer ends his work at the company, which besides auto parts, semiconductors, home appliances, and power tools also produces industrial and building technology, as the seventh CEO after founder Robert Bosch. And thus after a relatively short time: his three predecessors Volkmar Denner, Franz Fehrenbach, and Hermann Scholl led the group for significantly longer.
Hartung: The right time to lay down my mandate
Corona, Ukraine war, US tariffs, increasing competition from China – all of this fell into Hartung's four-and-a-half-year term. During this period, Bosch invested billions in e-mobility, software for automated driving, hydrogen, heat pumps, and certain chips. But not all strategies worked out, and the global economy and customers did not always cooperate. The consequences were shifted financial targets, cost-cutting measures, and large-scale job cuts – for which Hartung's management faced sharp criticism from employees.
Hartung stated: "After the company's future viability has been further strengthened and we have achieved important milestones in restructuring, now is the right time for me to lay down my mandate."
Fischer takes over on July 1
The new Bosch CEO Fischer was most recently responsible for the consumer goods division – and was something like the group's chief strategist. The 58-year-old's professional career began as a trainee at the Swabian company. After stints at the consulting firm Roland Berger, Walter Bau, the RFID company Smartrac, and again Roland Berger, Fischer returned to Bosch in 2018 – directly to the management board.
According to dpa information, Fischer's contract has a term of five years. In the future, two managers will share the deputy position: CFO Markus Forschner and supply chief Markus Heyn.
Bosch is in crisis
The difficult economic situation hit Bosch with full force last year. The supplier is suffering not only in its core area, where the sluggish transition to electro-mobility is a burden, but also in almost all other business fields. For example, many consumers are holding back on purchases of appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, power tools, and garden equipment due to the current economic situation.
According to its own statements, Bosch is no longer competitive in many areas. To turn things around, the company is making significant savings on personnel and structures. In the supply division alone, the group wants to cut up to 22,000 jobs in the coming years. There are also reduction plans in other areas – including at the home appliance subsidiary BSH and the power tools division.
The costs of the unprecedented job cuts – along with US tariffs and tax effects – have also heavily burdened the Swabian company's financial figures. Overall, the programs cost 2.7 billion euros, mainly in the form of provisions. Last year, Bosch had to record a net loss of 363 million euros for the first time since 2009. In the previous year, profit had already halved. Sales rose only slightly in 2025 to 91 billion euros. Thus, the company also fell significantly short of its own expectations.
Will 2026 be better for Bosch?
According to the new Bosch CEO, important foundations have been laid in recent years and the transformation has begun. "The strategy going forward is set, but the environment and our markets are changing at an unprecedented pace," said the qualified economist. Efforts must be aligned accordingly, decisions made with great determination, and innovations brought quickly into products and markets.
For the current year, Bosch most recently expected slightly better business despite the difficult global economic situation. In the first quarter, sales were roughly at the previous year's level. For 2026, management aimed for sales growth of two to five percent and also more profit.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:260626-930-289416/3
