The management of GFOS - our management team

The success of our company can be attributed to collective effort. Our company's 200+ employees are what make GFOS the preferred choice for high-quality software solutions for all aspects of work and Industry 4.0. They are the ones who support our customers day after day.

With foresight, a sense of continuity and a wealth of experience, our executive board sets the course for the successful development of our company.

On this page, you will get to know the people who have often been at the helm of GFOS for many years. Find out more about how we combine individual skills and qualifications in the interests of our customers - the introduction of GFOS management.

Executive Board

Our CEOs - the GFOS management duo

Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig and her husband Dr. Ignace Van Meenen both hold the position of CEO at GFOS. Together they keep our company on course and lead GFOS successfully into the future.

Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig

Thanks to the great performance of my parents, we have the best basis to catapult GFOS and our innovative products to the next level. The future will be as good as we make it. And together with our highly qualified team, we are already in the midst of creating the best possible future!

Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig grew up at and with GFOS. In 2014, she decided to take over the family business and join the tech company founded by her father Burkhard Röhrig in 1988. After studying abroad at the University of San Diego and the International College of Management Sydney and completing her MBA, she was initially a member of the executive board of GFOS mbH.

In 2022, she succeeded Dr. Ignace Van Meenen and has been Chief Executive Officer of the GFOS GROUP ever since. Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig is renowned as a thought leader in the field of New Work. Breaking the usual stereotypes, she represents female leadership in an industry that still tends to be male-dominated. In 2022, she was elected to the board of the BDI Digital Committee.

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Dr. Ignace Van Meenen

Right from the start, I was excited by the enormous potential and growth that is achievable in this company. Together with my wife Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig and the GFOS team, I look forward to building on 35 years of expertise in the 'German Tech Mittelstand' and actively developing GFOS further.

Dr. Ignace Van Meenen studied law in his home country of Belgium and in Osnabrück, where he received his doctorate in 1993 on the subject of "Fair Trading Law and Consumer Protection in IPR". His professional career has subsequently taken him to four continents and into five positions with companies from six sectors. Dr. Ignace Van Meenen has a global network and extensive experience in the management of national and international companies - from SMEs to large corporations. Since 2022, he has led the GFOS GROUP together with his wife as Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Ignace Van Meenen is particularly passionate about sustainability: he is the founding chairman of the non-profit organization Eyesea, which is committed to combating marine pollution with innovative solutions based on valid data. In 2021, Eyesea won the Green Tech Award of the Shipping Professional Network London.

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Extended Executive Board

Shaping the future with experience

Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig and Dr. Ignace Van Meenen are supported in the Executive Board of GFOS mbH by Mischa Wittek (Market) and Dr. Olaf Zwintzscher (Software Technology & Development).

Mischa Wittek

"Team spirit is very important at GFOS. Every day, we work full of motivation and drive to take the next steps towards the future - with a great team and first-class products - I am delighted to be part of this team!"

 

Mischa Wittek has been active in various positions in the fields of MES and workforce management for around 20 years and knows what is important to users. He has been part of the #GFOSfamily since 2006.

Vita Mischa Wittek

Mischa Wittek (born in 1973) completed a dual degree in business administration with a focus on marketing. During this time and also after successfully completing his studies, he worked in Human Resources and shortly afterwards took over the management of training at EDELHOFF Entsorgung West.

In 1996, he was given project responsibility for the introduction of a workforce management system in a regional company of the EDELHOFF Group. In 1999, when another WFM project had to be implemented at group level (approx. 5,500 employees, later RWE-Umwelt), Mischa Wittek was able to make a significant contribution to the success of this project. After the successful completion of the project, he switched to the provider side; initially as CRM Sales Manager for the expansion of successes in the existing customer environment of a provider of WFM software, later as Key Account Manager with a focus on new customer acquisition in the workforce and security environment.

Mischa Wittek has been part of the GFOS family since 2006, where he initially started as Sales Manager. 

In 2010, he took over the management of GFOS South-West, where he was responsible for building up and stabilizing the success of GFOS activities in south-west Germany. Later, he was also involved in setting up GFOS Schweiz AG and was involved in generating initial, important sales successes for the GFOS subsidiary.

After eight years in southern Germany, Mischa Wittek returned to Essen, where he took over as divisional head of GFOS Sales and was responsible for overall sales within the GFOS Group. In 2019, he became a member of the Executive Board of GFOS mbH and was appointed to the Board of Directors of GFOS Schweiz AG in 2020. 

As Managing Director Market (Sales & Sales Marketing), he has been responsible for the commercial/sales success of the GFOS Group since 2021.

Dr. Olaf Zwintzscher

"Innovative software solutions require creative employees who are willing to share their unique ideas with the world. I am proud to have such a team at my side and to work together to develop future-proof products for an excellent customer experience."

 

Dr. Olaf Zwintzscher has been Head of Software Development since 2017 and has made a significant contribution to the further development of our GFOS software family in recent years. As Managing Director for Software Technology & Development, his focus is on the continuous development of our software solutions and the optimization of the user experience of our customers. The topic of AI is gaining momentum.

Vita Dr. Olaf Zwintzscher

Dr. Olaf Zwintzscher (born in 1971) studied mathematics with a minor in computer science at the University of Essen and successfully completed his studies in 1998 with a degree in mathematics.

From 1998 to 2003, he was a research assistant at the Chair of Software Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Ruhr University Bochum. There he conducted research in the field of "Component-based software development and generator systems". During this time, he wrote his dissertation on "Component-based & generative software development - generating component-based software from extended UML". He received his doctorate with distinction in 2003. 

From 2003 to 2014, Dr. Zwintzscher was a lecturer in software engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Ruhr University Bochum. 

In 2004, he took over as Managing Director of W3L GmbH, where he was responsible for managing the software development division as well as numerous major customer projects in the energy industry, further education, publishing houses and software companies. Following the conversion of W3L GmbH into a public limited company in 2012, he was appointed to the Management Board of W3L AG. As a board member, he was responsible for marketing, finance and controlling and replaced Prof. Dr. Helmut Balzert as head of the W3L Academy.

In 2017, his path then led him to GFOS mbH as Head of Development. In this role, he has made a significant contribution to the further development of the GFOS software family in recent years. Since 2021, Dr. Olaf Zwintzscher has been responsible for Technology & Development at GFOS mbH as Managing Director. His focus as Managing Director for Software Technology & Development is on the continuous further development of our software solutions and optimizing the user experience of our customers.

Executive Board of GFOS Cloud & IT-Infrastructures GmbH

IT expertise for every industry

Francisco Pacheco has been at the helm of GFOS Cloud & IT-Infrastructures GmbH for over two decades. His experience and commitment are important cornerstones of the GFOS Group's success.

Francisco Pacheco

"A dynamic work atmosphere, innovative leadership on an equal footing, and a consistent pursuit of technological excellence—that's GFOS. Here, progress isn't just discussed; it's actively shaped together every day."

 

Francisco Pacheco has been an integral part of the GFOS corporate group since 2000. In his role as Managing Director, he, alongside Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig, oversees the business activities of GFOS Cloud & IT-Infrastructures GmbH.

Vita Francisco Pacheco

Francisco Pacheco (born in 1965) initially trained as an electrical engineer and then continued his education in the field of electronics while working.

In 1990, he entered the world of computers at Nixdorf Computer AG and its agencies, initially in the mainframe area and later in the client/server area. 

This was followed by positions at medium-sized IT system houses, including branch manager of a Munich-based group of companies. His focus there was on client/server architectures and LAN/WAN connectivity. Francisco Pacheco joined the GFOS Group in 2000. Since then he has been managing partner of the then newly founded GFOS Technologieberatung GmbH, a subsidiary of GFOS mbH. He has over 40 years of experience in the fields of electrical engineering and IT systems engineering and has extensive project-specific expertise in technical consulting, design and documentation of system configuration in the GFOS customer environment. His focus is on IT security management in accordance with ISO 27001, which is also the basis for his TÜV Rheinland certification as an IT security officer.

Management of GFOS Schweiz AG

Focus on the requirements of Swiss customers

GFOS Schweiz AG was founded in 2012 and has since successfully focused on the Swiss market.

Hans-Peter Schwegler

"At GFOS Schweiz AG, I experience the unique combination of innovative spirit and Swiss precision. It's not just a professional challenge, but a personal enrichment."

 

Another key member guiding the fortunes of GFOS Schweiz AG is Burkhard Röhrig. As a member of the Supervisory Board, he contributes his expertise to the strategic direction of the company.

Vita Hans-Peter Schwegler

Hans-Peter Schwegler (*1964) is Managing Director of GFOS Schweiz AG. 
After studying business informatics, he began his professional career in the IT world in 1986 at NCR (Schweiz) AG as a sales-oriented solution provider. 
This was followed by positions at large and medium-sized IT companies, in particular for industry-specific products and services in the IT sector as well as software and hardware.  
Hans-Peter Schwegler has been Managing Director and a member of the Board of Directors of GFOS Schweiz AG since December 12, 2012.
 

This experienced management team contributes its expertise both in day-to-day business and in important directional decisions. Together we are steering our company GFOS into a successful future.

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CH: +41 . 41 • 544 66 00

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