Karl Lamprecht will assume the role of president and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG, effective April 1, 2020. He will succeed Michael Kaschke, who has held the office of CEO for 10 years and has served on the company’s executive board for 20 years. The announcement was made Sept. 24, after the company’s supervisory board voted unanimously in favor of the appointment. Karl Lamprecht. Courtesy of Zeiss. Lamprecht joined Zeiss in 2005, serving as head of strategic business development for the semiconductor manufacturing technology (SMT) department. He later became head of the former laser optics strategic business unit and a member of the management team for the SMT segment. In 2017, Lamprecht assumed overall responsibility for the SMT segment and was appointed to the executive board the following year. “By making these personnel decisions, the Supervisory Board of Carl Zeiss AG is opting for continuity on the Executive Board team,” according to a written statement from the company. “This is an excellent time to pass the torch, and I am delighted by the respect and trust the Supervisory Board has placed in the Executive Board team,” Kaschke said. “With this team, we have achieved dynamic growth for years that is also sustainable. Building on this foundation, we can now hit the ground running as we move ahead into the next decade of business success. This is important for our customers and our employees at the company’s locations around the globe.” Markus Weber was appointed to the executive board as a new member and will replace Lamprecht as head of the SMT segment of the company, effective Oct. 1.