New leadership takes the helm at Torqeedo

Torqeedo GmbH, a designer and manufacturer of marine electric drives, has appointed Fabian Bez as the company’s new chief executive officer, Oct. 1. The company also announced that Heiko Vietmeier has been named Torqeedo’s chief financial officer starting Nov. 1.

Fabian Bez (right) has been appointed CEO of Torqeedo GmbH, effective Oct. 1, 2022. Heiko Vietmeier (left) will join Nov. 1 as CFO. (Photo: Brecheis)

The new management team will succeed Dr. Markus Müller, CTO and chief strategy officer of Torqeedo’s parent company Deutz AG, and Dr. Alf Harkort, who each served as interim managing directors for the company during the executive search process. Müller was named interim CEO after the departure of Dr. Ralf Plieninger in March.

“There couldn’t be a better time to join Torqeedo,” said Bez. “I am looking forward to further developing this fast-growing company as we build the emission-free future of the marine industry.”

Bez has years of expertise in strategic corporate development and in particular in building up the electrification and battery production areas, including time as vice president E-Solution and Services at Webasto SE. As Divisional CEO of Webasto Thermo and Comfort SE, he was also responsible for the end customer business and the Leisure and Marine segments. Most recently, Bez worked as an independent management consultant in the field of alternative drives and renewable energies.

Vietmeier most recently served as the CFO for Defontaine Group in France, a manufacturer of slewing rings for wind turbines, transportation, forestry, machine tools and marine and medical applications.

“The Deutz Management Board welcomes Fabian Bez and Heiko Vietmeier as the new management team for Torqeedo,” said Müller. “We are confident they will leverage their extensive leadership experience to drive Torqeedo forward sustainably.

“We would like to thank Dr. Alf Harkort for his substantive contributions to Torqeedo and his impressive successes during the transition. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”