Extended three-member Management Board for Deutsche Messe

"The trade fair business is undergoing a profound transformation - economically enormously challenging, but also with clear opportunities for strong locations. With today's addition of Konstantin Kühl to the Executive Board, Dr. Jochen Köckler and Dr. Holger Feist, Deutsche Messe AG is setting clear priorities in the trade fair business, digitalization and site development & transformation. The Supervisory Board continues to support this course very closely. Our common goal is to secure the Hanover location, retain jobs and consolidate the trade fair's good national and international reputation," explains Grant Hendrik Tonne, Minister of Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Messe AG.

As CEO, Dr. Jochen Köckler will drive forward the further development of the trade fair business at the Hannover venue with a particular focus on strengthening established leading trade fairs such as Hannover Messe and EMO Hannover as well as acquiring new partner trade fairs. These include the defense trade fair DSEI Germany and the energy trade fair Europe Energy Week, which will take place in Hanover for the first time in 2027.

Dr. Holger Feist has also been a member of the Management Board since 1 May 2026. His department focuses on the development of new business in Germany and abroad as well as the digitalization of the company. In particular, this includes the development of new digital services that offer exhibiting companies and visitors additional benefits and meaningfully extend the trade fair experience into the digital world. He is also responsible for the guest trade fairs at the Hanover Exhibition Center, including Agritechnica and IAA Transportation. Dr. Feist has many years of experience in the fields of management consulting, media, digitalization and the international trade fair industry. After working for McKinsey & Company and Hubert Burda Media, he was Chief Strategy Officer at Messe München, where he was responsible for the strategic development of the company.

Konstantin Kühl joins the Executive Board as its third member on May 18, 2026. He will be responsible for developing a long-term master plan for the future Deutsche Messe. The aim is to strategically evaluate the current business model and consistently develop it further. This also includes decisions about space that will no longer be needed in the future as well as targeted investments with the aim of continuing to offer customers a trade fair experience in Hanover. Konstantin Kühl has been a Partner at Roland Berger since 2017. There he supports complex transformation projects and develops and implements strategic and operational concepts.

The Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Hanover's Lord Mayor Belit Onay, says: "DMAG's new Management Board is taking on the challenges and will make the trade fair fit for the future. The development of new business models and the digitalization of the company are essential. Deutsche Messe AG is the gateway to the world for Hannover and everyone involved knows this: Now is the time to set the right course for the future."