• Christian Helfrich takes over as Chairman of the Management Board, Frederik Blachetta becomes Chief Technology, Data & Innovation Officer, Dr Claudia Thamm becomes Chief Sales Officer
• Kai Beckmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Clear signal for strategic growth, digitalisation and customer focus

The Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei Gruppe GmbH has appointed a new management team at an extraordinary meeting. With effect from 1 January 2026, Christian Helfrich (58), the long-standing Chief Financial Officer (CFO), will become the new CEO of the federal technology group. He will take over from Dr Stefan Hofschen (58), who is leaving the group at the end of the year when his contract expires to pursue a new professional challenge. In addition to chairing the management board, Helfrich will continue in his role as CFO. Together with the previous CEO Hofschen, he has successfully repositioned the Bundesdruckerei Group as the German government’s technology company. In recent years, the group has achieved significant growth rates in the areas of identification systems, cyber security and new business areas relating to digitalisation solutions for the public sector and sensitive areas of society and the economy. In his now expanded role, Helfrich will have overall responsibility for the group of companies and will drive forward its strategic development. In addition to finance, his responsibilities will include the cybersecurity solutions business (the group subsidiaries Xecuro and genua), the banknote business and the entire production area.

At the same time, the Supervisory Board has appointed Frederik Blachetta (38) as Chief Technology, Data & Innovation Officer (CTO) with effect from 16 February 2026 and appointed him to the Management Board. He will be responsible for technology and product development, data, artificial intelligence and innovation. He will also be responsible for the entire business of administrative digitisation and secure digital business processes and identities (subsidiary D-Trust). Blachetta has many years of management and transformation experience in the digitisation of administration. He is familiar with the public sector from both a service provider and customer perspective and brings with him in-depth expertise in the design and implementation of technical solutions for the state. He is currently a partner and Global Public Sector Data & AI Leader at PwC.

The Supervisory Board has also appointed Dr Claudia Thamm to the Management Board – she will take on the newly created position of Chief Sales Officer (CSO) on 1 January 2026. In addition to sales responsibilities, her area of responsibility will include all of Bundesdruckerei’s business relating to identity documents and systems (passports, ID cards, driving licences). She will also take on the role of Director of Labour Relations and be responsible for Human Resources. Thamm has held various management positions at Bundesdruckerei for many years and most recently served as Head of Key Account Management & Business Development, where she was responsible for the group’s most important customers. With her many years of experience and market knowledge, she stands for customer focus and the alignment of the Bundesdruckerei Group’s business with market needs.

Dr Kai Beckmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei Group GmbH, says: “As the Supervisory Board of the Bundesdruckerei Group, we are delighted to have found an extremely competent management team that will lead Bundesdruckerei in the best possible way in the future. We very much welcome Christian Helfrich taking on additional responsibility as CEO. With his many years of experience in management, his economic expertise and his outstanding performance in his previous role as CFO, he has contributed significantly to the Group’s success. His appointment sends a clear signal for further strategic growth. With Claudia Thamm and Frederik Blachetta, we are completing the reorganisation of the management team. The Supervisory Board is convinced that, with their professional expertise in digitalisation and customer focus, as well as their comprehensive expertise, they will provide important impetus for the future of the Bundesdruckerei Group.”

The Bundesdruckerei Group GmbH is wholly owned by the German federal government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). Stefan Ramge, Head of the Department of Investments, Federal Real Estate and Privatisations at the BMF, says: “With Christian Helfrich as CEO, we are relying on proven expertise to continue the successful development of the Bundesdruckerei Group. With Frederik Blachetta, we will be able to provide new impetus in the area of digitalisation in public administration in particular. With Claudia Thamm as CSO, we are supporting an even stronger focus on customer needs within the Group. I am delighted that we have been able to successfully complete the reorganisation of the management team with this successful mix of proven and new expertise.”

Dr Kai Beckmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei Group Ltd, said: “On behalf of the shareholder, we would like to thank Stefan Hofschen for his work. He has had a significant impact on the company in recent years and has successfully guided it through a period of significant change. The realignment of the business with a clear focus on the digital sector and the resulting dynamic growth of the company are just two examples of this. We regret and respect his decision to leave the company at the end of the year and thank him for his important work.”