Interview with Thomas Kölbl

After graduating from high school and completing his military service, Thomas Kölbl trained as an industrial manager and then studied business administration in Mannheim. In 1989, he began his career at Südzucker, initially in investment management (now M&A), where he worked closely with the executive board from an early stage. 

In 2004, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until his retirement in 2023. During his professional career at Südzucker, he shaped two major waves of diversification: the withdrawal from B2C businesses such as Schöller and the expansion of the core business and related areas such as BENEO, ethanol, and fruit through the AGRANA investment. From 2005, he also took on a seat on the executive board of AGRANA, the Südzucker Group's most important holding company, and played a key role in driving its strategic development. Kölbl worked for Südzucker for a total of 34 years and can be considered an important factor in the financial stability and strategic orientation of the group.