Schletter Group, the global manufacturer of solar mounting systems, is expanding its C-suite. Richard Lothholz will join the Schletter team on July 1st in the newly created position of Chief Sales Officer (CSO) to bolster the organization’s global sales and marketing as it continues its expansion.

“Richard is a sales expert of international stature and with an outstanding track record. With his vast business development and process optimization experience, he is an excellent fit for a dynamic and evolving company like ours," says Florian Roos, CEO of Schletter Group. Headquartered in Kirchdorf near Munich, Schletter Group’s senior management will, including Roos, comprise Martin Lipp (CFO), Dr. Cedrik Zapfe (CTO), Ralf Maus (COO), and Richard Lothholz (CSO). “The level of skill and experience we have throughout our senior management forms an ideal foundation from which we can pursue our strategic commercial goals," affirms Roos.

As CSO, Lothholz will be responsible for Schletter Group’s worldwide sales and marketing as well as sales and technology integration. Additionally, he will be charged with making the company even more customer- and service-oriented. Well trained in business administration, Lothholz has over 25 years of management experience at multinational corporations under his belt. Over a 20-year period, he held a number of management positions in the OSRAM’s automotive division, most recently as VP Automotive for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America (ELAMEA). At each stop, he played crucial roles in expanding both market share and share of sales.

“Schletter’s development in recent years has been extremely impressive. It’s certainly one of the most dynamic and intriguing companies on the solar market," said Lothholz. “I'm excited to become part of the journey and look forward to doing everything I can as CSO to contribute.”

Lothholz is not the only top Schletter executive with automotive industry experience, with Maus and Roos having also worked in the sector for many years. “The automotive industry has always been a front-runner when it comes to process optimization and doing business abroad. Figuring out how to productively apply that know-how to the solar industry has proven to be very successful," Roos reflects.

Schletter Group has advanced to become one of the top five solar mounting system manufacturers in the world, with more than 6 gigawatts of PV power installed on Schletter systems globally in 2023. Despite the cyclical downturn that the European rooftop market has been experiencing recently, the company was able to increase its annual sales by 13 percent in 2023.

To ensure the continuation of this robust growth, Schletter Group secured additional, eight-figure financing at the start of 2024. It was another important brick in the company’s financial foundation on top of the EUR 65 million bonds issued at the close of 2022. Schletter is also active on the corporate social responsibility front, working tirelessly to improve its CSR footprint. In June, the CSR rating agency EcoVadis rewarded the group’s efforts with its bronze medal rating.