Hubert Baren assumed the role of Managing Director for the Automation Business Unit, succeeding the departing Dr. Michael Wenzel. In this capacity, Hubert Baren is also Managing Director of Kurtz Holding GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and a member of the Global Board.
Dr. Michael Wenzel initially served as an advisor for the Automation division as a Delegate of the Advisory Board for six months before becoming Managing Director of the Automation division and a member of the Global Board on April 1, 2021. Upon his departure on April 30, 2024, Dr. Wenzel reflects on three and a half successful years with the Kurtz Ersa Group, leaving behind a well-stocked order book.
Hubert Baren has been highly successful in the global electronics automation sector for decades and now brings his expertise and international sales experience to Kurtz Ersa. Hubert Baren studied Plant Operation Technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg and subsequently worked as an Order Processor, Project Engineer, and Project Manager for a pump company in the water management and petrochemical industries, as well as in the refinery sector.
In 1996, he moved from Hamburg to Belgium to work at IPTE, a company that produced test fixtures and PCB conveyors for electronics manufacturing. At IPTE, Hubert Baren initially served as a Project Manager and later as a Sales Representative for Northern Europe. In 1999, he moved into Sales Management for the DACH and Nordic regions and, in 2007, assumed the role of Managing Director of IPTE Germany GmbH and the Estonian site. In 2010, Hubert Baren joined the Board of Directors and, since 2016, has been responsible for global sales, marketing, and strategy as Chief Commercial Officer.
The Automation division and the entire Kurtz Ersa Group extend their gratitude to Dr. Michael Wenzel for his extraordinary commitment over the past years. Thanks to him, the Automation Business Unit has become a strategic pillar of the Kurtz Ersa Group. The Kurtz Ersa management is delighted to have secured such an experienced successor in Hubert Baren and looks forward to a successful collaboration. Best wishes to the new and former Automation Managing Director!
