Magna CEO Klein joins Rivian

The contract manufacturer Magna Steyr is losing its CEO. The Canadian-Austrian corporation unexpectedly announced that the President of Magna Steyr is stepping down. According to the news service Bloomberg, Klein is set to take on the role of COO (Chief Operating Officer), making him primarily responsible for the concrete processes in production.

Just under three years at Magna Steyr

The Palatinate-born Klein only joined Magna Steyr in April 2019 and was initially responsible for the areas of Engineering & Manufacturing, before being promoted to President in July 2020. He was responsible for 13,000 employees worldwide at a total of 13 production sites and 18 development centers.

Prior to joining Magna, he spent a total of 25 years in various positions at Daimler AG, including Head of Operations for Mercedes-Benz Vans and Project Manager for the construction of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.

Boom among contract manufacturers

The upturn in electromobility and the emergence of new e-suppliers from China and California are bringing the Austrian contract manufacturer Magna Steyr an enormous influx of customers. New car brands are saving the effort of setting up their own production and are outsourcing manufacturing to third-party producers. In addition to long-standing customers like BMW and Jaguar, which have their vehicles manufactured at Magna Steyr, new start-ups such as Sony, Ineos, and Fisker are joining.

Apfalter takes over leadership again

Frank Klein is leaving Magna Steyr after almost three years, and Günther Apfalter will therefore take over the position of President of the company again "with immediate effect" in addition to his duties as President of Magna Europe and Asia. Apfalter has been with Magna since 2001 and has already held various leadership positions there.