Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has announced the appointment of Dr Andreas Schwer as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 August 2022.
The appointment comes following the company’s announcement last week that Dr Ben Greene, EOS’ founder and long-time CEO, would be stepping down from the role after 36 years of service. Dr Greene will now move into the role of Head of Innovation.
The company says Dr Schwer will take the helm at a 'pivotal time' as EOS finalises the outcome of its Strategic Review. His appointment will 'provide the leadership required to “reset” the company' as it seeks to optimise shareholder value over the long term, EOS says.
Dr Schwer has an extensive understanding of the company’s global operations, having acted, most recently, as President of EOS EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) for two years, during which time he oversaw the expansion of the company’s activities in NATO and Middle Eastern markets.
Dr Schwer has had a long and varied executive career in the defence, manufacturing and space domains. His previous experience includes senior positions in public sector defence industry, at the German defence company Rheinmetall AG, the US global equipment manufacturer Manitowoc Company, Airbus Group and the European Space Agency. He is a board member and recently retired Non-Executive Chairman of Australia-based company Titomic. Among his qualifications, he holds a PhD in the field of system modelling and numerical optimisation.
“Dr Schwer’s commercial acumen, experience across the defence and space sectors, and extensive international experience ideally position him to lead the company as we seek to improve our go-to-market capability across Asia, Europe and the US," Peter Leahy, Chair of EOS, said. "The Board believes he has the right combination of experience, capabilities and attributes to lead EOS as we prioritise growth in our defence and space businesses.”
Dr Schwer will be based in Canberra, Australia where EOS is headquartered.