The supervisory board of Deutsche Börse AG said it has appointed Stephan Leithner as the company’s new chief executive officer.
The 57-year-old will take up his new position on October 1, 2024, and initially lead Deutsche Börse as a co-CEO together with Theodor Weimer until the end of the year.
Weimer will then be 65 and resign from the executive board. His contract expires at the end of 2024.
Leithner has been a member of the executive board of Deutsche Börse AG since 2018, responsible for pre-trading and post-trading.
Stephan Leithner
“His current areas of responsibility include the strategically important Investment Management Solutions segment with ISS STOXX and SimCorp as well as the group’s post-trading business with Clearstream,” said Deutsche Börse AG.
“A decision on his succession will be made in due course.”
From 2016 to 2018, Leithner served as a partner of private equity company EQT.
Prior to this, he was with Deutsche Bank AG from 2000 to 2015, initially responsible for building up its capital markets and M&A business, and from 2012 as a member of the executive board.
Before joining Deutsche Bank, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company. Leithner studied and obtained his PhD at the University of St. Gallen.
Martin Jetter, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Börse AG, said: “Stephan Leithner is a proven and recognised expert in the capital markets to be CEO.
“He knows the global exchange landscape and understands the needs of our clients. In recent years, Stephan Leithner has played a significant role in the strategic development of the company.
“We are convinced that Stephan Leithner has all the prerequisites to continue Deutsche Börse’s successful development …
“In 2018, Theodor Weimer was faced with the challenge of leading Deutsche Börse out of a period of deep uncertainty.
“He and his team have accomplished this challenge with brilliance. The annualised growth in net revenue and EBITDA of 13 per cent during his term speaks for itself.
“Today, Deutsche Börse is once again a self-confident company that enjoys a high level of public trust. I would like to thank Theodor Weimer for leading Deutsche Börse to new strength.”
Leithner said: “I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for this vote of confidence and I am delighted to take on my new role.
“In recent years, we have successfully developed the business model and demonstrated the potential of this company and, in particular, its employees, who work in 56 locations around the world.
“The challenge now is to further realise this potential across the group to shape the markets of the future.”