New Management at Contract Logistics Provider Simon Hegele

Simon Hegele, a contract logistics provider and member of the NX Group (“Nippon Express”), announces a change in leadership. Stefan Ulrich will step back from operational business on September 30, 2025, and will continue to advise the company until the end of the year. His successors as CEO will be the long-standing managing directors of the Simon Hegele Group, Mike Winter and Michael Wahl, who will take over jointly as Co-CEOs on October 1, 2025.

(Karlsruhe) With this decision, Simon Hegele is sending a clear signal for continuity, reliability, and strategic development – especially regarding the collaborative partnership with its customers.

Stefan Ulrich comments on the transition: “Exactly ten years after my entry into Simon Hegele and after successfully overseeing the acquisition by Nippon Express, I have decided to hand over the operational leadership of the group. The shareholder representatives and I have carefully prepared for this day. I have worked very successfully with Michael Wahl and Mike Winter for ten years. Now is the ideal time to pass on the baton to the right successors: The commitment of both colleagues, their competence, and their successes in the Simon Hegele Group as top managers speak for themselves, and we are confident that they will successfully develop the group in this new constellation together with our great team.”

Mike Winter brings extensive expertise in the logistics sector. His long-standing experience on the OEM side in production logistics, as well as his 25 years of service in various roles within the Simon Hegele Group – up to managing director and shareholder – underline his solid industry knowledge. Since 2014, he has been primarily responsible for the Healthcare EMEA business at Simon Hegele. In this role, he has been able to triple revenue and will reach the milestone of 200 million euros this year. As Co-CEO, Mike Winter will take on global responsibility for the Healthcare business of the Simon Hegele Group.

“My goal is to further strengthen our position as an international service and service partner in the field of Large Medical Devices together with my international colleagues and to scale globally in close collaboration with Nippon Express. We will continuously expand the comprehensive service portfolio, which goes far beyond classic contract logistics, to optimally support partners worldwide in their growth and development goals,” describes Mike Winter his objectives.

Michael Wahl has been part of the Simon Hegele Group for almost twelve years and has significantly shaped the successful development of the company during this time as Commercial Director and most recently as CFO and Managing Director. His solid commercial expertise and deep understanding of the operational processes in contract logistics make him a strong driver for efficient corporate management and successful business expansion. In his new role, Michael Wahl will take overall responsibility for the commercial disciplines as well as the logistics business in the areas of industry, trade, and pharmaceuticals.

Michael Wahl adds: “Being appointed Co-CEO is not only a personal responsibility for me but also an opportunity to actively shape strategic business partnerships. I am particularly looking forward to further expanding and strategically utilizing the partnership with Nippon Express together with my excellent colleagues from sales and operations to develop innovative solutions along the entire value chain for our customers. Our employees are the cornerstone of our success – today and in the future. With their commitment and expertise, we create the foundation to further expand and strengthen our market position.”

Entering a New Era Already Shaped

The entry of the Simon Hegele Group into a new era has been significantly shaped by the three managers, not least through the sale to the Nippon Express Group six months ago. The post-merger phase has been extremely successful since then, and alongside many administrative activities, more and more customers from both corporate groups are benefiting from the new constellation.

Photo: © Simon Hegele / Image Caption (l. to r.): Michael Wahl, Stefan Ulrich, Mike Winter