Departing Robert Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung. (Qilai Shen\/Bloomberg)<\/p>\n
\n June 26, 2026 1:20 PM, EDT<\/p>\n
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\nRobert Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung will step down July 1, with Deputy CEO Christian Fischer replacing him.Bosch said Hartung requested to leave as the supplier faces EV demand uncertainty, China competition, tariffs and planned cuts of 18,500 jobs.Chief Financial Officer Markus Forschner and mobility head Markus Heyn will become co-deputy CEOs as Fischer takes over Bosch\u2019s leadership. <\/p>\n
Robert Bosch GmbH CEO Stefan Hartung is stepping down after leading a push to cut thousands of jobs and make the world\u2019s biggest automotive supplier more competitive.<\/p>\n
The 60-year-old requested to leave to pursue \u201cnew social commitments and entrepreneurial tasks,\u201d Bosch said June 26. Deputy CEO Christian Fischer, 58, will replace him July 1.\n \t \t\t<\/p>\n
Hartung has led the closely held maker of drivetrain components, power tools and air conditioning units since 2022, after rising through its ranks. Chief Financial Officer Markus Forschner and mobility unit head Markus Heyn will become the new co-deputy CEOs. Hartung\u2019s departure followed close consultation with the company, Bosch said.<\/p>\n
Bosch, which employs more than 400,000 people and last year generated 91 billion euros ($104 billion) in revenue, has been hit hard by the automotive industry\u2019s downturn. Global demand for electric vehicles has been uneven, prompting Bosch\u2019s automaking customers to walk back some of their EV ambitions. Nimble new competitors in China are also beating large parts of the incumbent industry on costs.\n \t\t<\/p>\n
Bosch has been leading the response to tougher conditions, detailing plans to eliminate a total of 18,500 positions. The cuts, including 13,000 reductions\u00a0announced in September<\/a>\u00a0affecting its mobility unit, served as a wake-up call to the industry\u2019s strife. Its peers, Aumovio SE<\/a> and ZF Friedrichshafen AG<\/a>, are also reducing staff.<\/p>\n Since then, the challenges have only grown. U.S. tariffs, a demand downturn in China and the Middle East conflict are weighing on margins, triggering renewed efforts to bring down costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fischer, who has a PhD in economics, became Bosch\u2019s deputy CEO in 2022. He\u2019s been responsible for the group\u2019s strategic growth initiatives and portfolio management as well as the consumer goods business. He started his career as a business trainee with Bosch, then worked as a consultant for Roland Berger in Berlin and Stuttgart.<\/p>\n Hartung, a former McKinsey manager, has other interests. Earlier this year, he joined Henkel AG\u2019s shareholder committee, a body that advises the German company\u2019s top management. In October, Bosch extended his CEO contract for another five years.<\/p>\n