German automotive supplier Schaeffler has appointed Jochen Schröder to its Executive Board as Chief Operating Officer, where he will oversee production, supply chain management and procurement, as the company also considers a broader restructuring of its leadership structure.
Schröder, 54, will assume the role on April 1, 2026, succeeding Andreas Schick, who will leave the company on March 31 at his own request. In his new position, Schröder will take responsibility for the Production, Supply Chain Management and Procurement divisions.
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The company also indicated that the supervisory board is evaluating plans to streamline its leadership structure by potentially combining the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) roles in the future.
“The Supervisory Board also decided to look at combining the Chief Technology Officer function with the Chief Operating Officer function to reduce the size of the Board of Managing Directors and achieve efficiencies,” Schaeffler said in a statement.
Schröder joined Schaeffler in 2018 to lead the company’s newly created e-mobility division. Since October 2024, he has served as Regional CEO Europe and as a member of the company’s Executive Board.
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Before joining Schaeffler, Schröder worked as Chief Technology Officer at Valeo-Siemens eAutomotive from 2016. He previously spent many years at BMW, where he began his career in transmission development and later held leadership roles focused on electrification of powertrains.
Schaeffler’s supervisory board said Schröder played a key role in building the company’s e-mobility business before its acquisition of Vitesco Technologies.
“I am very pleased that we have found in Dr. Jochen Schröder a competent and experienced colleague from within our organization to take over from Mr. Schick,” said Georg F. W. Schaeffler.
“Dr. Schröder was instrumental in the development of the E-Mobility business division prior to the acquisition of Vitesco and, because of his work as Regional CEO Europe, is extremely well acquainted with the Schaeffler Group’s business and its four divisions,” he added.
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As part of the leadership changes, Rémy Triouleyre will succeed Schröder as Regional CEO Europe. Triouleyre previously led the France subregion and served as global key account manager for the Stellantis account.
In addition, Schaeffler said Xiangbin Chen will become Regional CEO Greater China from January 1, 2027, succeeding Yilin Zhang, who will retire at the end of 2026.
