GFOS reinforces executive management for the MES business unit with Andreas Kirsch

GFOS announced today that the company reinforces the executive management team by calling Mr. Andreas Kirsch, business economist BBA Industrial, to the management of the MES business unit of the enterprise with effect from March 1, 2023. In addition to his outstanding expertise in the MES industry, Andreas Kirsch has a proven executive management track record including 16 years of strategic development and company growth as shareholder and co-founder GUARDUS Solutions AG. Under his leadership, the standard software solution GUARDUS MES developed into a world-renowned Manufacturing Execution System applied by manufacturing companies in over 22 countries. After the acquisition of GUARDIS Solutions AG by ZEISS Group in 2018, Andreas Kirsch, as Managing Director of ZEISS MES Solutions GmbH, accompanied the post-merger integration process until mid-2020. Most recently, Andreas Kirsch held a senior position as Head of Software Regulatory Affairs at ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions responsible for the strategic conception for the implementation of integrative software solutions for regulated markets (pharmaceutical industry, medical device, aerospace and defense) focusing on norms and standards such as GxP and FDA. In addition, in April 2007, Andreas Kirsch initiated the founding of the established DIN working group for MES. Furthermore, as a convener, Andreas Kirsch heads the international working group for the ISO standardization of KPIs for Manufacturing Operations Management, MOM, which established the standardization of key figures for MOM as one of the most important work results. These were published with ISO 22400-2 in January 2014 and were thus recognized as the first international standard for production indicators in the manufacturing industry. Due to his numerous memberships in various standardization committees, Andreas Kirsch is also deeply involved in the dynamics of digital transformation within the German industry (Industry 4.0 and beyond).

“I am excited to join the GFOS executive team. GFOS has a great business model and a talented management team that uniquely positions it to capitalize on the MES growth opportunities domestically and abroad. I look forward to advancing this to the next level of growth and product standardization of the MES business unit," says Andreas Kirsch. “Andreas Kirsch has already successfully shaped growth in medium-sized and large companies in the MES industry. He ideally combines broad know-how in the GFOS relevant software areas with in-depth technical knowledge of the MES market. This is an excellent basis for successfully implementing the future strategy of GFOS together. We look forward to working with him,” stated Katharina Van Meenen-Röhrig & Dr. Ignace Van Meenen, CEOs of the GFOS Group.