Today, DEKRA appointed Petra Finke (55) and Peter Laursen (47) to their newly created Board of Management roles. Petra, who currently serves as Global CIO Rhenus Freight Logistics and CEO of Rhenus Freight Network GmbH, will take on the role of Chief Digitalization Officer (CDO) from July 1, 2023. Meanwhile, Peter Laursen will be in charge of the Chief Operation Officer (COO) position with immediate effect. The move shows DEKRA’s commitment to invest in their digital transformation journey and to become the leading global force in safety, security, and sustainability.
DEKRA SE is a subsidiary of DEKRA e.V. and is one of the world’s leading expert organizations, active in the field of safety since 1925. It offers services ranging from vehicle inspection and expert appraisals to claims services, industrial and building inspections, safety consultancy, testing and certification of products and systems, as well as training courses and temporary work. In 2021, the company generated total sales of almost EUR 3.7 billion.
In her role as CDO, Petra will be in charge of expanding DEKRA’s service portfolio by leveraging the business potential of digitalization, as well as developing reliable services for DEKRA’s focus business areas future mobility, sustainability, and cyber security by deploying cutting-edge technologies such as AI and remote services.
Peter Laursen has been employed at DEKRA for the past 10 years and distinguished himself in business development as well as managing risk factors such as geopolitical situation, inflation and supply chain bottlenecks. As COO, he will be in charge of the company’s six business regions, which comprise legal entities and operations in 60 countries on all continents, as well as Group Marketing & Sales. His primary focus would be expanding DEKRA’s global footprint, especially in strategic growth regions such as North America and Asia.
Stefan Kolbl, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at DEKRA expressed his satisfaction towards the onboarding of Petra Finke and Peter Laursen, citing their expertise and leadership qualities to be invaluable for the company’s success. He further added that the objective of the Board is to facilitate DEKRA’s vision of a safe, secure, and sustainable world. Stan Zurkiewicz, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of DEKRA also expressed his optimism towards working with Petra and Peter and leveraging their expertise to provide the best customer experience in the industry.
DEKRA is well on its way to its 100th birthday vision with its current commitment to digital transformation and providing its customers with the best in terms of safety, security and sustainability. With Petra Finke and Peter Laursen on board, DEKRA is well-equipped to continue to pave the way towards this goal.
