Düsseldorf, March 8, 2012 - In today's meeting the Supervisory Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft has appointed Dr. Stephan Petri (48), currently General Counsel, as Executive Board member of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft with effect as of June 1, 2012. Dr. Petri will be responsible within the Executive Board for Human Resources, Legal/Compliance and Other Companies. Consequently he will also assume the role as Labor Relations Director (Arbeitsdirektor).

"With the appointment of Dr. Petri we reinforce the GEA Executive Board which so far consisted of three members", said Dr. Jürgen Heraeus, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft.

After working as an attorney for an international law firm and later on in the legal department of Hoechst, respectively Aventis in France, Dr. Stephan Petri joined GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft as General Counsel in 2005. In addition he was appointed Chief Compliance Officer in 2006 and took over responsibility for the segment Other Companies in 2009. Stephan Petri has dual German-American citizenship, is married, has three children and lives in Essen / Germany.

About GEA Group
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft is one of the largest suppliers of process technology and components for the food and energy industries. As an international technology group, the Company focuses on sophisticated production processes. In 2011, GEA generated consolidated revenues in excess of EUR 5.4 billion, 70 percent of which came from the food and energy sectors, which are long-term growth industries. The group employed about 23,000 people worldwide as of December 31, 2011. GEA Group is a market and technology leader in its business areas. It is listed in Germany's MDAX stock index (G1A, WKN 660 200).

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