DocuWare has announced this week that as of 1 January 2019, it will be undergoing a change of helmsmen.
Current company presidents Jürgen Biffar and Thomas Schneck will transition their leadership positions to Dr. Michael Berger, currently the company’s Chief Technology Officer, and Max Ertl, currently the company’s Chief Revenue Officer.
“Today’s announcements are about ensuring the company continues its long-term growth,” stated Jürgen Biffar, Founder and President. “This new structure will enable DocuWare to benefit from the extraordinary opportunities ahead. There is tremendous innovation and creativity at DocuWare and I have total confidence in Michael and Max to harness that energy to execute the company’s growth plan,” he added.
Founded in Germering, Germany in 1988, the company states that both current presidents have steered DocuWare towards its current success over the past 30 years. Jürgen Biffar, President is based in Germany and oversees finance, product and marketing, while Thomas Schneck, President is based in the U.S. and is responsible for sales.
The next phase of DocuWare’s growth will be led by newly appointed co-presidents, Dr. Michael Berger and Max Ertl.
“As with any successful company, change and transition is necessary. Therefore, it is with pride and gratitude that we hand over the responsibility to Michael and Max”, stated Thomas Schneck, President. “Both have played critical roles in the development and success of DocuWare and we believe there is no one more qualified to lead the company,” he concluded.
Dr. Michael Berger holds a Ph.D. in computer science, specialising in distributed and intelligent systems. After serving in senior positions within Siemens AG, the 48-year-old joined DocuWare in 2008. As Vice President Research & Development, Berger placed the development process on a modern foundation, driving innovations such as DocuWare Cloud and Intelligent Indexing. In May 2013, he took on the added responsibility of the company’s worldwide Technology Department, which encompassed Product, Research & Development, QA and IT Operations. He was promoted to Chief Technology Officer at the beginning of 2016. Dr. Michael Berger will assume global responsibility of products, services and finance.
Max Ertl joined DocuWare in 2001. He had previously held leading positions at Siemens AG in the areas of strategic planning, marketing and international software sales and at Nemetschek, a construction software specialist. When he first joined DocuWare, Ertl was responsible for marketing. In 2006, he took over German-language sales regions and in 2008 assumed responsibility for the subsidiaries in France, Spain, the UK and the EMEA regions.
Following his promotion to Chief Revenue Officer in January 2018, Ertl continued to demonstrate unique leadership qualities bringing his Regional Sales Director team to new heights and expanding the network of authorised DocuWare partners. The 54-year-old played a decisive role in the company’s ability to increase its worldwide revenue from € 6.3 million ($7.2 million) in 2001 to approximately € 44 million ($50.4 million) in 2017. Max Ertl will assume global responsibility for sales and marketing.
In a statement released to staff across DocuWare’s global office locations yesterday, Biffar and Schneck thanked their staff of 300 for their work and dedication and emphasized that the entire DocuWare community, from employees to partners to customers, are the true reasons behind DocuWare’s long-term sustainability.
Max Ertl and Michael Berger will assume the roles of co-presidents on 1 January 2019. Mr. Biffar and Mr. Schneck will relinquish all day-to-day management responsibilities at this time and remain as strategic advisors to the company’s leadership team.
