d&b Fine-Tunes Leadership Team

	(l-r) Jaakko Kaivonen and Nicola Wagener

d&b audiotechnik is implementing key leadership transitions. The company has added Jaakko Kaivonen as the new CRO and Nicola Wagener as the new CPSO on board the management team as of March 17. d&b audiotechnik's COO, Stephan Greiner, and d&b group's CPSO, Karen Wefelmeyer, have decided to step down for personal reasons.

Kaivonen brings extensive experience in leading global sales structures in the B2B business. In his various senior management functions, he has held full P&L responsibility in his past companies which include global responsibility for the industrial segment for entrance systems division at ASSA ABLOY Group as well as several senior leadership roles at KONE Corporation.

"I am excited to welcome Jaakko to our executive team and the d&b family," says Amnon Harman, CEO of d&b group. "To drive future strategic growth and strengthen our market position, the establishment of a dedicated CRO organization is a key step. With this customer and market-centric business unit, Jaakko will put a clear focus on our growth strategy built on existing strong relationships with our reselling partners, direct accounts, and key opinion leaders as well the required support structure to further improve the partner and customer experience with d&b."

"I am truly excited and honored to join d&b audiotechnik and its team of dedicated and committed professionals. d&b has absolutely the leading products and solutions in the market, excellent customer service, and a true commitment to customer excellence," says Kaivonen. "d&b's outstanding team of professionals have throughout the years made a profound difference in the industry and I look forward to working alongside with this talented team to drive growth, expand global reach, and deliver exceptional solutions to our customers."

Over the past 20-plus years, Wagener has driven performance and organizational change across industries, starting as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, followed by her role as head of corporate strategy and portfolio at thyssenkrupp AG, and more recently as a leadership advisor at ghSMART.

"I have had the honor of working alongside Nicola in the past and treasure her strong analytical skills and her impact-driven mindset," comments Harman. "I am very confident that her pragmatic, systematic working style and her extensive expertise in people development will greatly benefit d&b's future growth and our staff. I am thrilled to welcome such a talented leader to our executive team."

"I am excited to join this exceptional company. What stands out to me most is the vibrant, positive culture, the hands-on mentality, and the pride people take in being part of the d&b family," says Wagener. "I look forward to getting to know the d&b community better, supporting change processes, and enabling the organization's next phase of growth from a people and sustainability perspective."

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stephan Greiner and Karen Wefelmeyer for their outstanding contribution and dedication to d&b," Harman adds. "Together with my fellow d&b'ans, I wish them all the best for their own personal and professional journeys. At the same time, I am extremely pleased to welcome Jaakko Kaivonen and Nicola Wagener to our executive team. With their expertise and leadership, we will continue to build on our success and drive meaningful value for our customers, partners, and other d&b stakeholders."