Donaustahl hires Horst Rieder as CFO – former KNDS finance chief takes the helm

Since 1 November, the financial management of Donaustahl GmbH has been in the hands of Horst Rieder. At the end of October, the company announced that he was coming on board as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). According to the company, Rieder takes up the position in a “decisive growth phase”.

The new finance chief can look back on more than 30 years in the management of defence companies and in the sector's financial strategy. He spent most of his career at KNDS, formerly Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann, as group CFO until the end of 2024. This period included, for example, the successful multi-billion merger in which Germany's Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann and France's Nexter Group combined to form KNDS – Rieder was responsible for it.

Donaustahl CEO and new CFO on the appointment

Stefan Thumann, CEO of Donaustahl GmbH, is proud of the appointment:

We are extraordinarily proud to have won Horst Rieder for this key position. With his impressive experience and his in-depth knowledge of the defence industry, he will help to advance Donaustahl further on its way to a leading role in the defence technology sector.— Stefan Thumann, CEO of Donaustahl GmbH

Rieder himself describes his new role as follows:

The position of CFO at Donaustahl is probably the most exciting one at present in the large market of defence start-ups. A company that has managed to grow this large while maintaining its financial independence is probably unique in Germany. With a clear vision and the potential to change the entire industry, I look forward to expanding the financial structures together with the team and providing strategic support for the company's expansion.— Horst Rieder, CFO of Donaustahl GmbH