KraussMaffei reshapes leadership – strategic course for 3D printing and digitalization

Effective January 1, 2026, Alex Li will assume the role of CEO of the KraussMaffei Group. He has been part of the management board since mid-2025 as interim CFO and brings many years of experience in international finance and transformation management. By his own account, he has used this time to “get to know the operations and the team in depth” and now sees his task as leading the company into its next phase of development together with the workforce.

Li succeeds Chi Zhang, who, after two years at the helm of the company, will again take over as chairman of the supervisory board. During this period, KraussMaffei expanded its presence in Asia and established targeted partnerships and sales structures there – an important market in which industrial 3D printing solutions are also increasingly in demand.

Alex Li: “I am very much looking forward to this new role. Over the past year, I have already had ample opportunity to get to know the operations and the team. KraussMaffei is an innovative company, and I am excited to help shape the future of KraussMaffei together with all employees and to further expand our position as an innovation leader.”

Chi Zhang: “My time in KraussMaffei’s operational business will always remain a fond memory. Together we have achieved a great deal. I am honored to continue accompanying KraussMaffei in my new, yet familiar role as chairman of the supervisory board.”

In parallel, the CFO position will be newly filled as of March 1, 2026: Michael Hofmann will move from the Putzmeister Group to KraussMaffei. He brings experience from international industrial companies, including CFO and general management functions in Europe and China.

“I am very much looking forward to my new role and to contributing to the transformation process. I have already met several key members of the global management team and have been warmly welcomed by KraussMaffei and the shareholder. KraussMaffei is a leading player in the industry and enjoys an excellent reputation – I am very happy to soon be part of the team,” says Michael Hofmann.

For the machinery manufacturer, these personnel decisions are also relevant against the backdrop of traditional plastics processing, digital manufacturing and additive manufacturing becoming more closely intertwined. For years, KraussMaffei has been investing in networked production systems in which injection molding, reaction process machinery, extrusion and 3D printing are to be tightly linked – for example via shared control platforms, uniform data models and automated material logistics.

With the new leadership structure, the company gains a management team that combines industrial and financial expertise in global markets. For customers from the plastics processing industry and the additive manufacturing environment, the key question is whether KraussMaffei can further expand its role as a solution provider for integrated process chains and embed 3D printing in the long term into its machinery and service concepts.