Aurubis Founders and People
Aurubis can look back on an impressive history shaped by a number of important people. They made a lasting impact on both the company and the industry with their visionary ideas and dedication. The founders’ legacy continues to this day: innovative and responsible towards customers, employees and the Group.
The founders of Norddeutsche Affinerie
Dr. Ferdinand Beit
(1817-1870)
- Son of clothier Philipp Raphael Beit
- 1846 Technical director of Elbkupferwerk
- 1857 Co-founder of Elbhütten-Affinir Handelsgesellschaft
- 1866 Charter member and president of Supervisory Board at NA (1866–1870)
Karl Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr von Westenholz
(1825-1898)
- Founder of Friedrich Westenholz & Co.
- 1858–1872 Member of Supervisory
- Board at Norddeutsche Bank
- 1866 Elected vice-president of Supervisory Board at NA
- 1870–1898 President of NA
George Ferdinand Gorrissen
(1821–1904)
Employment in paternal business “Gorrissen & Lutz” in Hamburg until
his appointment as grand ducal consul general
1869 Ennoblement
1898–1904 Member of Supervisory Board at NA
Ferdinand Jacobson
(1822–1905)
Merchant and founder of a trading company in Hamburg named after him
1856 Charter member of Norddeutsche Bank
1866–1902 Member of Supervisory Board at NA
1861 President of Commercial Deputation
1895 Conversion of his trading company to a bank
Chairmen of the Executive Board
Dr. Felix Warlimont
(1879–1950)
- 1915 Joined Metallbank and Metallurgische Gesellschaft in Frankfurt/Main as an engineer
- 1920 Dispatch to Hamburg to write an expert opinion on the economic problems of NA
- 1920–1942 Chairman of the Board of Directors
- 1942–1950 Chairman of Supervisory Board
Kurt Heide
(1898–1980)
- Joined Metallbank in Frankfurt/Main
- 1942 Joined Executive Board at NA
- 1943–1945 Chairman of Executive Board
Ernst La Pierre
(1895–1971)
- 1921 Joined NA as assistant to financial management
- 1930 Appointment to Executive Board
- 1951–1961 Chairman of Executive Board
- 1955 Award of German Federal Cross of Merit
Paul Hofmeister
(1909–2002)
- 1927 Joined NA
- 1938/39 Worked for NA in Chile
- From 1947 Member of Executive Board
- 1961–1976 Chairman of Executive Board
- 1976–1981 Chairman of Supervisory Board
- 1981–2002 Honorary Chairman of Supervisory Board
Walter A. Gleich
(1924–1999)
- 1927 Joined NA
- 1938/39 Worked for NA in Chile
- From 1947 Member of Executive Board
- 1961–1976 Chairman of Executive Board
- 1976–1981 Chairman of Supervisory Board
- 1981–2002 Honorary Chairman of Supervisory Board
Gerhard Berndt
(1928-2016)
- 1953 Joined NA, worked at Rohhütte Nord smelter
- From 1964 Technical assistant to the Executive Board; management and
- planning of RWO
- 1972 Deputy member of Executive Board
- 1975 Ordinary member of Executive Board
- 1986–1990 Chairman of Executive Board
Dr. Klaus Göckmann
(geb. 1942)
- 1975 Joined Metallgesellschaft
- 1987 Transfer to Cominco Ltd. in Vancouver
- 1990 Member of Executive Board at NA
- 1990–1994 Chairman of Executive Board
Dr. Werner Marnette
(geb. 1945)
- 1978 Joined NA as assistant production manager
- 1980 Rejoined NA after working one year for Korf Stahl AG
- 1986 Appointed plant manager
- 1990 Appointment to Executive Board as deputy member
- 1992 Ordinary member of Executive Board
- 1997 Chief human resources officer
- 1994–2007 Chairman of Executive Board
Dr. Bernd Drouven
(born 1955)
- 2001 Joined NA as chief operating officer of subsidiary Spiess-Urania Chemicals
- GmbH in Hamburg
- 2004 Head of strategic planning/international relations
- 2006 Appointment to Executive Board as chief financial officer
- 2008–2011 Chairman of Executive Board
Peter Willbrandt
(born 1962)
2004 Head of Business Unit Primary Copper
2007 Appointment to Executive Board as deputy member
2008 Ordinary member of Executive Board
2012–2014 Chairman of Executive Board
Jürgen Schachler
(born 1954)
2016 Started at Aurubis
2016–2019 Chairman of Executive Board
Roland Harings
(born 1963)
- 2019-2024 Joined Aurubis as CEO
Dr. Toralf Haag
(born 1966)
- 2024 joined Aurubis as CEO
Other significant personalities
Marcus Salomon Beit
(1734–1810)
- Son of wealthy Jewish draper Salomon Isaac Beit
- 1770 Founder of gold and silver smelting works at no. 43, 1 Elbstrasse
Siegmund Robinow
(1808 – 1870)
- Son of Marcus and Emma (née Beit) Robinow
- 1846 Co-founder of Elbkupferwerk on the Elbe island of Steinwerder
- 1856 Co-founder of Norddeutsche Bank
- 1857 Stockholder of Elbhütten-Affinir und Handelsgesellschaft
Johann Cesar Godeffroy VI. (1813 – 1885)
- Shipowner and merchant from old Huguenot family
- 1837 Joined J. C. Godeffroy & Sohn
- 1846 Co-founder of Elbkupferwerk on the Elbe island of Steinwerder
- 1856 Co-founder of Norddeutsche Bank
Dr. Emil Wohlwill
(1835–1912)
- Pioneer in the subject of electrolytic refining
- 1855–1859 Studies in experimental chemistry, organic chemistry, experimental
- physics, mineralogy, geology and botany. Conferral of PhD in Göttingen with dissertation “Über isomorphe Mischungen der selensauren Salze”
- 1860 Self-employed trade chemist
- 1875 Development of tankhouse principle for copper electrolysis
- 1877–1900 Senior chemist at NA
Dr. Heinrich Wohlwill
(1874–1943)
- Son of Emil Wohlwill
- 1898 Joined NA
- 1903 Invention of electrolytic method for production of cuprous oxide (Cu2O)
- 1913–1933 Member of Executive Board and technical director at NA
- 1942 Deportation to Theresienstadt concentration camp
Richard Merton
(1881–1960)
- Industrialist and politician; son of Wilhelm Merton, founder of Metallgesellschaft
- 1917 Chairman of Supervisory Board at Metallgesellschaft
- 1935 Member of Supervisory Board at NA
- 1938 Enforced withdrawal from all functions within companies and institutions
- 1950–1955 Chairman of Supervisory Board at Metallgesellschaft
- 1950–1958 Chairman of Supervisory Board at NA
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