Dr. Mohsen Sohi is only the second executive to hold the company’s top position who has not been a member of the Freudenberg family. In addition, he is only the seventh CEO in the company’s 175-year history.
Sohi, who is American, held leadership positions in U.S. companies in the aerospace, automotive and electronics industries for a decade and a half before joining Freudenberg. In 2003, Sohi was named President and CEO of the Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership, in Plymouth, Michigan, in the United States. There he strategically realigned the joint venture - which was active in the sealing business – owned by Freudenberg and its longtime Japanese partner NOK.
He developed the company’s General Industry business, especially by expanding activities into new sectors such as medical technology and the oil and gas industry. With his effective approach to crisis management, Sohi steered the Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership through the financial turbulence of 2008 and 2009. The company was even able to add market share by the end of the financial crisis.
In 2010, Sohi, who holds a Doctor of Science in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), was appointed to Freudenberg Group’s Management Board in Weinheim, initially as a board member. He was named Chief Executive of Freudenberg & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft and of the newly formed Freudenberg SE in 2012. He has been General Partner of Freudenberg & Co. KG. since 2010.
One of his main projects – the organizational reform program Focus 2.0 – was launched at the outset. It culminated in a new corporate governance structure. The goal was to re-adjust the entrepreneurial activities of the Business Groups, strengthen their orientation to customers and the market, and increase the company’s ability to innovate. Operational business responsibility was transferred to the individual Freudenberg Business Groups. Since then, the Management Board has focused on the company’s strategic orientation.
Under Sohi’s leadership, this was accompanied by efforts to optimize processes and boost efficiency. The new “House of Excellence” describes the key elements for the company’s successful growth. They include strengthening the corporate image of the Freudenberg umbrella brand. Sohi also pressed ahead with the digitalization of the company with the clear objective of creating added value for customers and increasing internal efficiency.
Over the past 10 years, the Freudenberg Group has more than doubled its revenue and profits. Based on the principle of “less administration, more innovation,” the company has simultaneously increased its investments in research and development each year by more than 10 percent, to more than 600 million euros annually and has created companywide platforms to promote future technologies. Sohi has resolutely pursued the goal of well-balanced regional positioning with a third of sales coming from each of three regions, the Americas, Europe and Asia.
The sustainability strategy adopted during his tenure spells out the company’s step-by-step path to climate neutrality by 2045. As part of the company’s long-term orientation, projects are dealing with a special issue: How Freudenberg is positioning itself to offer the right solutions in 2050. Sohi has also taken the company’s traditionally well-developed sense of social commitment and has given it a more systematic and global orientation. His name is also closely tied to the company’s sophisticated talent management system: Freudenberg largely fills its leadership positions from its own ranks, which are more internationally balanced and diverse than ever before.
“Mohsen Sohi is leaving his mark on a very successful and profitable period in the 175-year history of Freudenberg. The company has undergone tremendous change in recent years. It has also further systematized, professionalized and digitalized processes. This puts Freudenberg in a position to tackle future challenges with considerable strength and flexibility as well as an openness to change. This era is marked by a close, trusting cooperation between the company’s Management Board and its Board of Partners. Mohsen Sohi is certain to enjoy the family’s gratitude and its recognition of his farsighted leadership and further development of the company,” said Mathias Thielen, Chairman of the Board of Partners.
Claus Möhlenkamp is an experienced Freudenberg executive who has worked in various roles at the company for more than 30 years. As CEO of Freudenberg’s largest business group, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, he has played an important role in the successful development of the entire company in recent years.
Möhlenkamp, who holds a degree in industrial engineering, joined Freudenberg Sealing and Vibration Control Technology as a key account manager for Mercedes-Benz in 1994. Two years later, he was promoted to Director, Automotive Sales Europe. In 2001, he assumed management responsibilities at the Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership in the United States, remaining there for several years. By 2005, he had returned to Europe, joining the Management Board of Freudenberg Sealing and Vibration Control Technologies. In 2007, he was named CEO. With the merger of Freudenberg’s European and American sealing activities, Möhlenkamp took over the global business responsibility for the newly formed Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in 2011. In this position, he was responsible for strategic development, sales and marketing, human resources and communication. Under Möhlenkamp’s leadership, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has played a major role in shaping the progress and transformation of the auto industry. Numerous Freudenberg innovations have the goal of increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines and sustainably reducing their emissions. For many years, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has also supported the trend to electric mobility with intelligent solutions. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies made the transition from component to system manufacturer in the fuel cell and battery fields, both key technologies for the future. Since 2022, Freudenberg has been conducting this business with the newly formed business group Freudenberg e-Power Systems. In addition to his duties as CEO, Möhlenkamp is a member of the Freudenberg Executive Council. This panel takes the views of the Business Groups into account at the Group level. In this role, Möhlenkamp has long helped to shape the strategic orientation of the entire Freudenberg Group.
“Claus Möhlenkamp has been impressive due to his strategic vision and operational success. That makes him the ideal choice to lead Freudenberg into the future. I wish him the best in his new position and I very much look forward to working with him,” said Mathias Thielen, Chairman of the Board of Partners.
