Family-owned manufacturing company Schwan-STABILO’s CEO Sebastian Schwanhäußer is to step down at the end of the current fiscal year after almost three decades at the business. He will assume the position of Chairman of the advisory board on July 1. Schwanhäußer is part of the fifth generation of the family that owns the company.
Michele Molon is to succeed Schwanhäußer as CEO, effective October 1. In the interim period, CFO Anke Buttler will lead the company.
Molon was most recently Chief Commercial Officer of Swarovski International. Molon has held various global executive roles at the company since 2010, where he is said to have played a central role in the repositioning of the Swarovski brand and its transformation into a omnichannel business. He has been a member of the Swarovski Executive Committee since 2017. Molon also served on the boards of several key subsidiaries and joint ventures within the Swarovski Group.
Before Swarovski, Molon held senior positions at Montblanc, including Managing Director Italy Retail and Global Head of Retail Operations.
The change comes amid what the company describes as an increasingly volatile business environment.
Schwan-STABILO’s operations span writing instruments, cosmetics and outdoor, with revenues of approximately €800m. The company employs over 5,200 people in 38 locations globally.