Melissa Wach, new Chief Financial Officer at VAUDE

Financial expert Melissa Wach joins VAUDE's senior management
Sustainable financial management will continue to be expanded

12.01.2024 - Internationally seasoned financial expert, Melissa Wach, assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer in VAUDE's management team in December. She succeeds Erwin Gutensohn, who retired after a successful 30-year tenure shaping VAUDE's financial management and establishing the groundwork for sustainable corporate financing. Melissa Wach is eager to play a strategic role in advancing sustainable practices and promoting 'Green Financing' at VAUDE. Joining CEO Antje von Dewitz, the top leadership team at VAUDE includes Jan Lorch who has overseen Sales & CSR (CSO) for many years, and Uwe Gottschalk, serving as Chief Product Officer (CPO).

"I am thrilled to collaborate with Melissa, who is bringing a wealth of expertise and dedication to our management team and will play a key role in shaping the future of VAUDE," expressed Antje von Dewitz.

Melissa Wach brings a wealth of financial expertise to VAUDE

With a strong background in strategic financial planning, controlling, financial analysis and transactions, digital transformation, and project management, she is an internationally experienced expert. Her diverse range of experience extends from world leaders in the automotive supply industry to software companies and internationally operating chemical companies. "I am eagerly looking forward to contributing to a company that prioritizes responsible operations and participates in the Economy for the Common Good with Common Good Balance Sheet assessments. VAUDE embodies values that are personally important to me. The warm corporate culture fascinates me! VAUDE lives by a philosophy that I wholeheartedly support, and as an outdoor enthusiast, I am excited about the products," explains Melissa Wach.

Diversity as a success factor

With the new CFO Melissa Wach and CEO Antje von Dewitz, the management team is now 50 percent female. Women hold prominent positions across the board in leadership roles at VAUDE: constituting approximately 45 percent of executive positions – a figure well surpassing the national average of 24 percent. Emphasizing the importance of diversity and equal opportunity, the family-owned company firmly believes these factors are pivotal to their success. Antje von Dewitz asserts, "We recognize the need for diverse perspectives and talents to navigate the complexities of today's challenges and make informed, sustainable decisions."

Born in the US and originally from Southern California, diversity is an issue that's also very close to her heart: "I have always been different. At the beginning of my career, I was often the only woman at the table, and I was also a foreigner from a different culture. However, this has also helped me chart my own path," reports Melissa Wach. She shares these experiences with Antje von Dewitz, who remains one of the few female entrepreneurs in the outdoor industry and, 15 years ago, embarked on her own consistently sustainable path, successfully positioning the VAUDE brand.

Learn more about socially-oriented business practices at VAUDE in the ECG Index

Learn more about Diversity & Equal Opportunity at VAUDE