News | 08.06.2021
Hamburg – Ralf-Michael Franke, former CEO of the Business Unit Factory Automation at Siemens, is now the new chairman of the advisory council at the rapidly growing software company Cybus. His appointment took place at a board meeting and was approved on June 2, 2021. As a thought leader in the fields of automation and Industry 4.0, Franke is both a visionary and a practice-oriented driving force on the Cybus advisory council.
“For me, Cybus is a very promising company that will set standards in automation technology in the future,” says Franke, commenting on his engagement in the Cybus advisory council. “Cybus makes it easier and faster to bring automation, customer value and productivity to factories around the world. I am passionate about driving forward the connected factory together with Cybus.”
Ralf-Michael Franke, former CEO of the Business Unit Factory Automation at Siemens and Chairman of the advisory council at Cybus
The advisory council supports Cybus in strategic business decisions and contributes its expertise to partnerships and larger customer projects as a sparring partner. The appointment of Ralf-Michael Franke as chairman of the advisory council is all the more far-reaching: For decades, he has played a leading role in building bridges between automation and IT – an aspiration that also Cybus successfully pursues.
After more than 30 years in leading positions at Siemens, Ralf-Michael Franke stands out for his exceptional managerial and professional competence in the industrial sector. In 2004, Franke was named CEO of the Siemens Business Unit Industrial Automation Systems. In April 2011, he took over as head of the Drive Technologies Division and finally became CEO of the Siemens Business Unit Factory Automation in 2014.
Carsten Stiller, CSO of Cybus, is convinced: “With Ralf-Michael Franke as chairman, we not only gain a visionary, but rather an architect with whom we can successfully position Cybus globally in the smart factory sector.” Peter Sorowka, CEO of Cybus, also clearly expresses his appreciation: “It is an honour that an industry giant like Ralf-Michael Franke is taking on the position as advisory council chairman for us. On behalf of my entire team, I am proud that we have reached this point today.”
In addition to Ralf-Michael Franke, the Cybus advisory council consists of a total of three other internationally experienced and recognized experts from the fields of automation, robotics, industrial manufacturing and innovation management.
Founded in 2015, Cybus is a specialist for data infrastructure in smart factories from Germany. With its software, the Cybus Connectware, Cybus ensures seamless and automatable flow of data between the shop floor and IT.