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A FAMILY BUSINESS LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Managing the company will continue passionately within the family in the future. This will be guaranteed by Dr. Alexandra Kohlmann (born in 1987), Michael Zehe's daughter, who today manages various companies of the ROWE Group as the CEO and authorised signatory. After she successfully studied technology and management-oriented business administration, with a core focus on controlling and human resources at the Technical University in Munich, she subsequently completed her doctorate four years later on the subject of corporate succession in family businesses. In 2016, she followed in her father's footsteps as a member of the Executive Board and has now been managing ROWE MINERALÖLWERK GMBH together as the CEO since 2024. Alexandra Kohlmann always vigorously promotes the topics of sustainability, digitalisation, modern and value-oriented leadership as well as new ways of working.
In 2020, she was awarded the special prize of "Successful Women in SMEs" by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. She also concluded her trainee period as a certified Systemic Coach and Change Manager in 2022. She was nominated as one of the top 50 women entrepreneurs in Germany by Handelsblatt in the same year.
ROWE is continuing with the well-proven dual leadership model it adopted back in 2018. On 1 January, Stefan Wermter took the helm at ROWE MINERALÖLWERK GMBH as joint CEO alongside Alexandra Kohlmann. He was previously a member of the Management Board with responsibility for operations.
Stefan Wermter joined ROWE in 2002 as a customer advisor, subsequently progressing to team leader in internal sales before becoming head of product and sales controlling. He has more than 20 years of experience in the lubricant industry and played a key role in shaping ROWE’s evolution into a global company.
The history of ROWE can be traced back to the entrepreneurial courage of one man. Back in 1995, Dipl.-Ing. Michael Zehe (born 1960) laid the foundation stone for a success story in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, which is still unparalleled in the industry today. What started off as a venture in the workshop of his parents' business, was something which Michael Zehe built up in just a few years to become a global player and pioneer in the lubricant industry.
Opening of the factory in Worms in 2014 meant that Michael Zehe was able to successfully turn his vision of establishing one of the most modern production facilities for lubricant production in the whole of Europe into reality.
On 1 January 2024, Michael Zehe handed over responsibility for ROWE MINERALÖLWERK GMBH to his daughter, Alexandra Kohlmann, and Stefan Wermter. He will continue in a consulting capacity as a member of the Advisory Board and within the ROWE Group will focus on future sectors in the field of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.