Following the recent announcement of a planned realignment of the organizational structure of Pfleiderer AG, executive board member Dr. Robert Hopperdietzel said he will step down effective Nov. 15. Dr. Hopperdietzel, who was deputy chairman of the executive board, was responsible for the areas of Technology and Operations/Plants, and most recently also for Business Center Western Europe. The supervisory board accepted his decision in its meeting held yesterday.

Speaking on behalf of the supervisory board and the executive board, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Ernst-Herbert Pfleiderer expressed his regret about the departure of Dr. Hopperdietzel and thanked him for his successful efforts and involvement in the positioning of the Pfleiderer Group in recent years, as well as for his "consistently good and loyal collaboration."

Dr. Hopperdietzel's tasks will now be performed by the other members of the executive board: Hans H. Overdiek, chairman of the executive board and ceo, Heiko Graeve and Pawel Wyrzykowski. "We assume that the organizational restructuring will result in savings in excess of EUR10 million," Overdiek added.