Schaeffler has appointed Celia Pelaz (48) as CEO of the "Defense & New Space" division. Effective October 1, 2026, she will also take over the management of STech Defence GmbH. Founded at the end of 2025, the Schaeffler subsidiary bundles the Group's activities in the areas of defense and new space and is based in Munich.

In addition to Pelaz, Manfred Homm (60) is part of the management team as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is currently held on an interim basis by Dr. Christopher Köth (42).

Pelaz has more than 25 years of experience in the international aerospace and defense industry. Most recently, she was Chief Operating Officer (COO) and member of the management board of satellite data company Spire Global, Inc. since early 2025.

Her professional career began in 2001 at the former aerospace and defense group EADS. She later took on various functions in the areas of operations, sales and project management at Airbus Defense & Space. She was subsequently responsible for transformation processes and the organizational separation of the Defence Electronics activities, which later became Hensoldt AG.

At Hensoldt, Pelaz was initially in charge of International Development, Strategy and Corporate Functions. She later took over responsibility for Strategic Business Development and the Spectrum Dominance & Airborne Solutions division. In July 2021, she became Chief Strategy Officer and member of the Management Board of Hensoldt AG. She was COO there until August 2024.

Pelaz studied technical engineering with a focus on economic and industrial organization at the Escuela Universitaria de Industria, Comercio y Navegación de Bilbao. She holds German and Spanish citizenship.

Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, commented on the personnel decision: "We are very pleased that we have been able to attract Celia Pelaz, one of the most distinguished and experienced managers in the European defense and aerospace industry, to Schaeffler."

The "Defense & New Space" division is one of the company's new business fields. Schaeffler is pursuing the goal of generating ten percent of Group revenue in growth areas outside its core business by 2035. In addition to defense and aerospace, this also includes applications in the field of humanoid robotics.