Shimadzu has appointed Jürgen Semmler as the new Managing Director of its European organisation from 1 July 2021. Previously head of Shimadzu Deutschland, he succeeds Jürgen Kwass, who led Shimadzu Europa from 2003 to the present and is now retiring. Semmler and Kwass have both been affiliated with Shimadzu for a long time and joined the company in the second half of the 1980s.
Jürgen Semmler graduated in chemical engineering from Essen University, Germany, before joining Shimadzu in 1987 as an HPLC service engineer. He gained international experience as a European team member in the development of a global software and since 1996 as manager of the European Customer Support Centre. In 2006, he was then appointed Managing Director of the newly founded Shimadzu Deutschland. Under his management, the company has grown from 60 to more than 150 employees, and its sales from €19 m to over €40 m.
As Shimadzu Europa and Shimadzu Deutschland are both based in Duisburg, Germany, the two Managing Directors have always worked closely together. Jürgen Semmler said: “Under Jürgen Kwass’ aegis, Shimadzu’s network was rolled out to every European country and set up structurally and in terms of staff to serve the customer needs of medium-sized companies as well as global players. Shimadzu’s growth is closely linked to his commitment and name.”
