Knorr-Bremse appoints new plant director in Kecskemét
Attila Bíró will replace István Lepsényi as CEO at Knorr-Bremse´s Kecskemét plant. Bíró has been chief operating officer (COO) at Knorr-Bremse Fékrendszerek Kft. since 2010.
The company, employer of nearly 900, is a developer and manufacturer of brake systems and active safety systems for commercial vehicles.
Attila Bíró graduated as a physicist and worked as director of technology and production at the European and U.S.-based units of General Electric Lighting before joining the Hungarian unit of Knorr-Bremse's Commercial Vehicle Division in 1997.
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| Attila Bíró |
In 2003, he became director for Global Sourcing in the CEE region and later in the whole of Europe. In 2007, Bíró was appointed vice-president for sourcing and purchasing at Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Nutzfhrzeuge in Munich.
As COO, Bíró oversaw production, logistics and quality assessment at the Kecskemét plant. He also oversaw the construction of the new plant and test centre, handed over in March 2014. Thanks to a EUR 20 million investment, the company established a foundation for introducing new products and technologies, securing the future of the Kecskemét site as well as expanding the Hungarian subsidiary's R&D competence.
During his 20 years of being plant director, István Lepsényi made sure that the Kecskemét plant could become one of the group's most successful development and production sites and also ensured the establishment of a sales network in the CEE region. In the future, István Lepsényi will fill in the position of president at Knorr-Bremse Kft.'s supervisory board.
Knorr-Bremse, celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2015, reported on a successful financial year in 2014. Last year, the company registered a turnover of over EUR 5 billion. Sales increased by 21 percent from the previous year (EUR 4.3 billion in 2013).
Sales of the Railway division amounted to EUR 2.98 billion, while the Commercial Vehices business booked EUR 2.23 billion in sales.
