Glaston Corp. will reorganize its current structure to better serve its customers in the architectural, automotive, display and solar glass processing markets, say company officials. Glaston aims to accelerate the implementation of its strategy for the period 2021−2025. Glaston’s strategic financial and non-financial targets are not changed. The new organization is planned to come into effect on Oct. 1, 2023.
“With these changes in our organization, we will accelerate the strategy implementation by adding focus to areas where we expect to reach additional efficiencies in operational excellence,” says Glaston’s President and CEO Anders Dahlblom. “Innovating together with customers continues and moving forward we expect to speed up the time-to-market of innovations. I'm confident that we will be an even stronger team for the second half of our 2021−2025 strategy journey,”.
Glaston’s new structure
In the new structure, Glaston plans to have two Business Areas that are formed according to its customers’ end-use segments: Architecture and Mobility, Display & Solar.
- The Architecture BA consists of current heat treatment flat laminating and flat tempering technologies and insulating glass technologies as three business lines
- The Mobility, Display & Solar BA consists of the current automotive & display pre-processing technologies and heat treatment technologies for the automotive, display and solar glass markets as two business lines
The production of Glaston technologies continues in the current locations: Tampere in Finland, Neuhausen in Germany, Bützberg in Switzerland and Tianjin in China.
Two new sections to be added
In addition, new global Business functions Automation & Innovation, and Sourcing & Supply Chain Management (SCM) are planned to be created. Sales and Services will continue as global functions working together with the Business Areas.
The new structure will add focus and resources in accelerating lifecycle revenue growth and dedication in Services offering development within the Business Areas.
The new Business functions Automation & Innovation and Sourcing & Supply Chain Management (SCM) focus on improving scalability and efficiency of Glaston’s business processes as well as speeding up time-to-market of development projects.
Layoffs are not planned
The planned structural changes are based on Glaston’s strategic growth plan and are not expected to include headcount reductions. The reorganization is a tool to tap into the efficiency potential that is expected to accelerate profitability improvement towards the 10% comparable EBITA margin target by 2025.
Changes in the Executive Management Group
In connection with the planned organizational changes, the following appointments to the Executive Management Group have been made:
- Miika Äppelqvist, currently senior vice president, Heat Treatment Technologies, is appointed senior vice president, Architecture. Miika Äppelqvist will relocate to Neuhausen, Germany, from Finland.
- Robert Prange, currently senior vice president, Automotive & Display Technologies, is appointed SVP Automation & SCM leading the new Business functions Automation & Innovation and Sourcing & Supply Chain Management.
- The recruitment of the senior vice president for the BA Mobility, Display & Solar is currently ongoing.
Glaston and Dietmar Walz, currently senior vice president, Insulating Glass Technologies, have together agreed that Walz will leave the Group to seek new opportunities outside Glaston as of Oct. 1.
All appointments are effective as of Oct. 1. As of the same date, Glaston’s Executive Management Group will constitute of:
- Anders Dahlblom, President & CEO
- Sasu Koivumäki, Chief Sales Officer, Deputy to CEO
- Miika Äppelqvist, SVP Architecture
- N.N., SVP Mobility, Display & Solar (ongoing recruitment)
- Robert Prange, SVP Automation & SCM
- Artturi Mäki, SVP Services
- Päivi Lindqvist, Chief Financial Officer
- Kaisa Latva, General Counsel
- Riikka Laitasalo, SVP People and Culture (starting 1 August 2023)
