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ZF Group names Dr. Konstantin Sauer as new CFO

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Willi Berchtold to hand over his post as Chief Financial Officer of ZF Friedrichshafen AG to Dr. Konstantin Sauer on May 1 2010Konstantin Sauer (50) is currently Executive Vice President of ZF Lemförder GmbH, where he is Head of Finance, Controlling, Information Technology and Materials Management
Friedrichshafen, Germany. ZF Group has appointed Dr. Konstantin Sauer as its new Executive Vice President responsible for Finance, Controlling and Information Technology. Sauer will assume his new post on May 1 2010, thus replacing Willi Berchtold, who has agreed to continue to serve ZF Friedrichshafen in an advisory capacity until the end of September 2010.

“During his five years on the Board of Management, Willi Berchtold has made essential contributions to the success of our company,” said Prof. Dr. Giorgio Behr, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ZF. “Particularly during the past year and a half, he has mastered some especially daunting challenges associated with the financial and economic crises with the utmost skill.” One of Berchtold’s special concerns has been maximizing efficiencies through standardizing and harmonizing processes across ZF Group. Behr expressed his appreciation to the outgoing CFO, noting that the company’s current good health was in no small measure due to Berchtold’s efforts. Together with CEO Hans-Georg Härter, Berchtold will present the Group’s 2009 financial statement in mid-April.

Born in 1959 in the German town of Heilbronn, Dr. Konstantin Sauer joined ZF Friedrichshafen AG in 1990. Until March 2000, he held various management positions in the Commercial Vehicles and Special Driveline Technology Division, before finally heading its controlling operations. In April 2000, Sauer became CFO of ZF do Brasil, and in July 2001, was appointed as President of ZF Group South American Operations.

Following his return to Germany in April 2005, Sauer headed the controlling activities of ZF Group. On March 1 2007, he assumed the position of Executive Vice President of ZF Lemförder GmbH and Head of Finance, Controlling, Information Technology and Materials Management of the Car Chassis Technology Division. “On the one hand, due to his technical expertise and, on the other hand, to his thorough knowledge of ZF based on many years of service – including his comprehensive experience abroad -, Dr. Konstantin Sauer is ideally suited to become a member of the ZF Board of Management. The fact is that the scope of his responsibility here will encompass just those duties that he has been fulfilling so exceedingly well over the past three years at our site in Dielingen,” said Prof. Dr. Giorgio Behr, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, of ZF Group’s new Chief Financial Officer.

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