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KNDS intends to list in 2026 to support its long-term growth strategy
KNDS Board decides to continue preparations for initial public offering (“IPO”) in 2026, subject to market conditions Dual listing in Frankfurt and Paris IPO will strengthen KNDS’s ability to invest in growth, innovation and industrial capacity Christian Schulz, former CFO of RENK Group, has been appointed to KNDS’s Board of Directors, bringing deep IPO and defence-industry expertise to support its next growth phase KNDS, the leading pan-European land defence company, today announces that its Board of Directors has decided to continue preparations for an initial public offering ("IPO") in both Paris and Frankfurt in 2026, subject to market conditions. The IPO will support KNDS’s long-term growth strategy, broadening its access…
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KNDS and Leonardo Agree on Joint Product Development
KNDS Deutschland (KNDS) and the Italian defense company Leonardo will together develop a mobile artillery system. A corresponding Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed in Amsterdam, the headquarters of KNDS, by Florian Hohenwarter, incoming CEO of KNDS Deutschland, and Roberto Cingolani, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo. This newly-developed artillery system will be based on the KNDS Artillery Gun Module and an enhanced version of Leonardo’s protected wheeled vehicle platform. Both companies intend to intensify industrial cooperation to improve supply chain resilience and time to market. The companies will offer their joint solution for the upcoming procurement program of the Italian Army. The combination of Leonardo’s state-of-the-art electronics, C5I, UAV…
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KNDS appoints Nicolas Groult as CEO of KNDS France effective 5 January 2026
KNDS today announced the appointment of Nicolas Groult as Chief Executive Officer of KNDS France, effective 5 January 2026. In this role, he will lead all French operations, oversee major programs, industrial sites and the company’s development roadmap in line with the Group’s strategy. Nicolas Groult brings 25 years of senior management experience in technology-intensive companies across the automotive, railway, and aerospace & defense sectors. He served as CEO of Pandrol since 2023, a global leader in railway infrastructure systems. Prior to that, he spent a decade in various senior leadership positions at Parker Meggitt, most recently heading the Power & Sensing division, where he oversaw critical aerospace and defense…
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KNDS nomme Nicolas Groult au poste de CEO de KNDS France à compter du 5 janvier 2026
KNDS a annoncé aujourd’hui la nomination de Nicolas Groult en tant que Chief Executive Officer de KNDS France, à compter du 5 janvier 2026. À ce poste, il dirigera l’ensemble des opérations françaises, supervisera les grands programmes, les sites industriels ainsi que la feuille de route de développement de l’entreprise, en cohérence avec la stratégie du Groupe. Nicolas Groult apporte 25 années d’expérience de cadre dirigeant au sein d’entreprises à forte intensité technologique dans les secteurs automobile, ferroviaire, aéronautique et défense. Il était depuis 2023 CEO de Pandrol, leader mondial des systèmes d’infrastructure ferroviaire. Auparavant, il a passé dix ans chez Parker Meggitt, où il a occupé plusieurs postes de…
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Florian Hohenwarter wird mit Wirkung zum 1. Januar 2026 zum CEO von KNDS Deutschland ernannt
KNDS Deutschland hat heute bekanntgegeben, dass Ralf Ketzel, seit 2020 CEO, am 1. Januar 2026, nach 35 Jahren im Unternehmen, in den Ruhestand treten wird. Sein Nachfolger wird Florian Hohenwarter, derzeit Chief Operating Officer von KNDS und seit April 2023 Mitglied der Geschäftsführung. Ralf Ketzel begann seine Karriere 1990 bei Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (damals KraussMaffei). In den vergangenen drei Jahrzehnten verantwortete er wichtige Führungspositionen, trieb Innovationen im Bereich der Landsysteme voran, förderte die internationale Zusammenarbeit und baute den Beitrag von KNDS Deutschland für die europäischen und ukrainischen Verteidigungsfähigkeiten aus. Ralf Ketzel ist maßgeblich am Erfolg des LEOPARD 2 beteiligt, einem der modernsten Kampfpanzer der Welt. Mit über 3.300 Systemen in 23…
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Florian Hohenwarter appointed CEO of KNDS Deutschland effective 1st January 2026
KNDS Deutschland today announced that Ralf Ketzel, CEO since 2020, will retire on 1st January 2026 after 35 years of dedicated service to the company. He will be succeeded by Florian Hohenwarter, currently KNDS Chief Operating Officer and member of the Management Board since April 2023. Ralf Ketzel began his career at Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (then KraussMaffei). Over the past three decades, he has held key leadership positions, driving innovation in land defense systems, fostering international collaboration, and strengthening KNDS Deutschland’s contribution to European and Ukrainian defense capabilities. Ralf Ketzel has been instrumental in driving the continued success of the LEOPARD 2, one of the world’s most advanced main battle tanks.…
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Nomination of Tom Enders as Chairman of KNDS Board of Directors
KNDS today announced that Tom Enders will join KNDS Board of Directors as the Group Chairman, effective November 3rd. Tom Enders, a distinguished European business executive and former aerospace leader, is best known for his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of EADS and Airbus from 2005 to 2019. During his leadership, Airbus became global leader in commercial aviation, consolidated its position in the defense and space business and multiplied its enterprise value. Before joining the aerospace industry, Mr. Enders held various policy and research roles, including positions at the German Ministry of Defense and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. Since leaving Airbus, he has remained deeply…
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KNDS annonce le départ de Nicolas Chamussy, CEO de KNDS France
Nicolas Chamussy quittera ses fonctions de CEO de KNDS France le 30 septembre. Sous sa direction depuis avril 2021, KNDS France a poursuivi sa transformation en s’adaptant au nouveau contexte international et européen de défense, en accélérant sa croissance et en répondant aux attentes de ses clients en matière de montée en cadence et de performance opérationnelle. Jean-Paul Alary, CEO de KNDS a déclaré : « Les membres du Conseil d’administration et l’équipe de direction de KNDS remercient Nicolas pour son engagement et sa contribution au développement du groupe au cours de ces années et lui souhaitent le meilleur pour la suite de sa carrière. » Nicolas Million, Directeur Finance…
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KNDS announces the departure of Nicolas Chamussy, CEO of KNDS France
KNDS today announced that Nicolas Chamussy will step down as CEO of KNDS France, effective September 30. Since his appointment in April 2021, KNDS France has advanced its transformation, adapted to the evolving international and European defense landscape, accelerated growth, and delivered on customer expectations for industrial ramp-up and operational performance. Jean-Paul Alary, CEO of KNDS, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors and KNDS leadership team, I would like to thank Nicolas for his commitment and significant contribution to the Group’s development. We wish him every success in the next chapter of his career.” Until a successor is appointed, Nicolas Million, Chief Financial Officer of KNDS France, will…
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KNDS acquires 10% of Kymati GmbH and fosters long-term cooperation for outstanding Radar solutions
KNDS and Kymati decided to deepen their joint development of radar-solutions by KNDS now being a shareholder and strategic partner of Kymati GmbH. The integration of unmanned assets in the KNDS Mission-Solution-Portfolio is – among other identified new technologies – a core capability for KNDS as a leading system of systems solution provider. KNDS-Platforms can be deployed as mobile launch/landing pad for drones covering long and short distance missions. Precise Navigation of such drones in a GPS denied environment will be enhanced by innovative local radar solutions from Kymati. KNDS and Kymati have already started to cooperate on various radar-applications for drone- and robotics-guidance and detection of obstacles and persons…
