Marika Lulay to succeed Ulrich Dietz as CEO of GFT Technologies SE / Ulrich Dietz to become Chairman of Administrative Board

To ensure a smooth transition at the top of the company, the next four months will be used for the handover of all business affairs. As of 31 May 2017 Marika Lulay and Dr Jochen Ruetz as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will jointly form the Board of Managing Directors. Ulrich Dietz is and will remain the anchor shareholder of GFT Technologies SE.

Focus on digitalisation of the economy
“Since its foundation in 1987, Ulrich Dietz has decisively developed the company as its anchor shareholder and Managing Director/CEO. He had GFT listed on the stock exchange in 1999 and developed it into a leading technology partner for the financial sector. Ulrich Dietz laid the foundation for the future of GFT – we are grateful for his tireless commitment, ambitious vision and the courage to explore new ground time and again,” states Dr Paul Lerbinger. In the future, Ulrich Dietz will focus in particular on the digitalisation of the economy and technology policy in Germany and Europe. In addition, he will continue to develop the CODE_n ecosystem and strengthen GFT’s engagement in the area of innovation and technology. Also, the 59 year-old aims to become more actively involved as a private investor in promising venture capital projects that support innovative technology companies.

“I have always been committed to shaping the strategic development of GFT and to getting our stakeholders enthusiastic about digitalisation. As the future Chairman of the Administrative Board, I will be able to even better pursue this goal and at the same time take on new challenges. It is vital that we in Germany and Europe not get left behind when it comes to digitalisation,” states Dietz.

Marika Lulay stands for continuity and experience
Marika Lulay has lead the operative business of GFT since 2002. The 54 year-old has more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry: In 1996, she led the German market entry of the US systems integrator Cambridge Technology Partners, where she last served as Vice President for Central and Northern Europe. At GFT, Marika Lulay has advanced the focus on the financial sector as well as the internationalisation of the company. She has primary responsibility for GFT’s successful “Global Delivery Model“ with nearshore and offshore development centres. Her main objective is to promote digitalisation in the financial sector and to keep GFT growing internationally. The plan is for company turnover to be increased to EUR 800 million by 2020.

The Chairman of the Administrative Board, Dr Paul Lerbinger, states: “For almost 15 years, Marika Lulay has been driving the development of GFT alongside Ulrich Dietz and Jochen Ruetz. She knows the company like no other and already manages over 4,500 employees in the operational business. With a constant focus on the customer, she combines continuity and experience. She is the ideal candidate to succeed Ulrich Dietz after 30 years and take over the management of the company.”

“As part of this highly motivated team, I am looking forward to taking on the tasks that lie ahead of us. The key focus is the digitalisation of the financial world. This requires a constant willingness to change, on the one hand, and creates countless opportunities, on the other. We have to keep up to date at all times while also focussing on a selected portfolio. Agile partnerships are becoming the key to success – the future lies in open innovation and the optimal combination of the know-how of our employees across the globe,” according to Lulay.

Invitation to a telephone press conference
You are invited to a telephone press conference on Monday, 30 January 2017, from 10 to 11 am, so that you can have direct access to further information. Ulrich Dietz (CEO), Marika Lulay (COO) and Jochen Ruetz (CFO) will be available to answer your questions. Please register at press@gft.com to participate – we will then send you the dial-in details via e-mail.