Stihl President Fred Whyte will retire at the end of this year. Bjoern Fischer, Stihl’s current vice president of finance, will assume the duties of president beginning in 2016. Whyte has been with Stihl for 44 years, and he has served as president for 23 years.

“It has been a great privilege to lead Stihl and to be a part of the tremendous success we have enjoyed over the last 23 years,” said Whyte. “I am proud of what we have accomplished, and I am pleased that Bjoern Fischer will be leading the company going forward. His experience and passion for Stihl are exactly what the company needs to continue our tradition of excellence.”

Fischer has been with the company since 2012. He currently oversees the financial operations of the company and the company’s human resources and information services departments. Previously, Fischer spent 20 years with Siemens, where he served as vice president and chief financial officer for the global business unit water technologies.

“I am excited both personally and professionally to continue my work with the team at Stihl,” said Fischer. “I look forward to building on the foundation that Fred has laid and using my experiences in Germany and the U.S. to accelerate our growth and momentum as we look to the future.”