Cuxhaven, 24th October 2013 - Roland Stanze, the former Executive Vice President and Head of Business Development with PNE WIND AG will be appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of WKN AG, which also belongs to the PNE WIND Group, on 1st July 2014. He then succeeds the present WKN Financial Director, Michael Ostwald. Until then he will be member of the WKN board, responsible for purchase and sales.
From 1st July 2014 in addition to his responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of WKN AG, Roland Stanze will also be responsible for the purchasing of the PNE WIND Group’s wind energy turbines and for the financing of the Group’s wind farm projects. This concentration of the purchasing and project financing for the whole Group is intended to create the cross-company synergies which have presented themselves since the takeover of the WKN shares by PNE WIND AG. This will generate positive impulses for the further expansion of the PNE WIND Group’s national and international project business.
The graduate economist, Roland Stanze, began his professional career in 1992 as Head of Financing and equity capital placement with EnergieKontor AG in Bremen. In 1995, he moved to a subsidiary company of the Commerzbank, where he was responsible as Prokurist (company representative with full power of attorney) for the conceptualisation and realisation of infrastructure funds. In 1999, Roland Stanze moved to PNE WIND AG and took over the management of the project financing area. Currently, as Executive Vice President and member of the extended Board of Directors, he is responsible for the company divisions, Project financing, Systems purchasing, Sales and International acquisition, which are combined to form the Project Development Division at PNE WIND AG. In previous years Roland Stanze has played a key role in shaping the development of the company. From the beginning of 2014 he will be active for the Group companies in the WKN headquarters in Husum.
Michael Ostwald will not extend his contract as Chief Financial Officer of WKN AG, ending 30 June 2014, at his own wish for personal reasons. The Supervisory Board commented: "We very much regret Mr. Ostwald’s decision, thank him for his past work on the Board and wish him continuing success in the future." Michael Ostwald has been active with WKN AG for many years and has played a decisive part in the North Friesian wind farm project designer’s development. Initially, he was Managing Director of BGZ Fondsverwaltung (Funds management) and thereafter he was active as Prokurist with WKN AG. In 2007, he was appointed Financial Director of the company.
From 1st January 2014, Udo Follrichs will take over the responsibilities of Business Development Area Manager and company representative with full power of attorney with PNE WIND AG. In addition, he will be responsible for the PNE WIND Group’s sales of wind farm projects. Udo Follrichs (graduate engineer) began his professional career in the wind energy sector in 1991 with Windtest KWK GmbH (now GL Garrad Hassan) in Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog. As deputy Technical Manager, he was responsible, amongst other things, for the establishment of the departments, Performance curves and Load measurements on prototypes.
In 2001, Udo Follrichs began his activities as Head of Acquisition International with WKN AG in Husum. Here, in addition to acquiring wind farm projects, he was also responsible for the development of the joint venture contracts with local partners in various countries.
As company representative with full power of attorney and Head of Sales & Purchasing, Follrichs is currently responsible for the company areas of turbines purchasing and Sales.
PNE WIND AG Company profile
PNE WIND AG with its headquarters in Cuxhaven plans and realizes wind farm projects on land (onshore) and on the high seas (offshore). In doing so, its core competence lies in the development, project planning, and financing of wind farms and in their operation and sales respectively with the provision of subsequent service. To date, the company has constructed 100 wind farms with a total nominal output of 828 MW.
In addition to its business activities in the established German home market, PNE WIND AG is already represented through joint ventures and subsidiary companies in Southeast Europe, Great Britain, USA and Canada.
In addition, PNE WIND AG is developing offshore wind farm projects, of which four major projects in German waters have already been approved. An entry into promising international offshore wind markets is also being examined.
WKN AG company profile
WKN AG has been developing constructing and operating turnkey wind and solar power farms in Germany since 1990. In addition, the company is represented internationally by subsidiary companies in many countries of Europe, South Africa and the USA. To date, WKN AG has developed and realised projects with a total output of more than 1,130 megawatts.
The WKN Company Group’s headquarters is Husum’s "Haus der Zukunftsenergien" (Home of future energies) which has established itself as an innovative centre of competence for renewable energies. 82.75 percent of WKN’s shares are owned by PNE Wind AG, Cuxhaven. 17.25 percent are held by private and institutional investors in free floating ownership.
Contacts for requires
PNE WIND AG
Rainer Heinsohn
Head of communication
Tel: +49(0) 47 21 - 7 18 - 453
Fax: +49(0) 47 21 - 7 18 - 373
Rainer.Heinsohn(at)pnewind.com
WKN AG
Catrin Petersen
Head of communication & marketing
Tel: +49(0) 48 41 - 89 44 - 100
Fax: +49(0) 48 41 - 89 44 - 225
catrin.petersen(at)wkn-ag.de
PNE WIND AG
Scott McCollister
Investor Relations
Tel: +49(0) 47 21 - 7 18 - 454
Fax: +49(0) 47 21 - 7 18 - 373
Scott.McCollister(at)pnewind.com
