Management change at Formel D Group: Thomas Klukas hands over CEO position to Marcel Blinde

Cologne, April 11th, 2024 – Formel D Group, a global service provider to the automotive and component supply industry, announces the appointment of Marcel Blinde as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Marcel Blinde succeeds Dr. Thomas Klukas, who has handed over his responsibilities in March, after leading the global organization for four years.

Marcel Blinde

Ralph Heck, chairman of the advisory board of Formel D: “In his time as the company’s CEO, Thomas Klukas has significantly contributed to the development of Formel D with great commitment. We are thankful for all his achievements, for his exceptional passion and for the international experience he has brought to the Formel D Group.”

Ralph Heck continues, “We are excited to welcome Marcel Blinde as new Chief Executive Officer at Formel D. With over two decades of international experience in the services sector, Marcel is the right leader to steer the company through its next chapter of successful development.”

Marcel Blinde is a seasoned executive who is recognized for his exemplary leadership and people-centric attitude. As the former Chief Executive Officer at IRISNDT, an international testing company, Global Head of Material Testing and Inspection at DEKRA as well as CEO/COO of Applus+ RTD, he has a profound understanding of the TIC (Testing, Inspection, and Certification) service sector.

Marcel Blinde: “I am honoured to join Formel D and very much looking forward to working with the great team across all regions. Together, we will continue to provide top-tier services to our clients, while also focusing on the growth and development of our talented workforce.”

About Formel D

Formel D is a globally active service provider with a focus on the automotive and supplier industry. The Group is the leading quality service provider for scalable solutions in the areas of testing, supply chain quality, vehicle quality and aftermarket solutions. Founded in 1993, Formel D employs more than 10,000 people worldwide and is present in 21 countries. The Formel D Group’s subsidiaries include Vdynamics, the specialist for testing, validation and simulation as well as the virtual testing of software.

Press contact

Formel D
Yulia Fedoryshyn Shyrokova, Corporate Communications Manager
T. +34 659 144 353
yulia.fedoryshyn@formeld.com | www.formeld.com